Joao
João is a given name of Portuguese origin. It is equivalent to the given name John. The diminutive is Joãozinho and the feminine is Joana. It is widespread in Portuguese-speaking countries. Notable people with the name are enumerated in the sections below.
Meaning & Origin of Joao
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
João is a given name of Portuguese origin. It is equivalent to the given name John. The diminutive is Joãozinho and the feminine is Joana. It is widespread in Portuguese-speaking countries. Notable people with the name are enumerated in the sections below.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Joao
Joao first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1918, with 11 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 140 Joaos were born — ranking #1,362 that year. As of 2026, Joao ranks #1,362 for baby boys with 140 births, rising sharply (+86% over the past five years). In total, more than 3K Joaos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Joao
Phonetically similar names — useful when Joao is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joao
What does the name Joao mean?
How popular is Joao in 2026?
When was Joao most popular?
In which U.S. states is Joao most popular?
Is Joao a unisex name?
What names go well with Joao?
About the name Joao
Joao is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Joao's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #1,362. Use the chart and map above to compare Joao's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.