Joao
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- zhoo-OWN
- Origin
- Hebrew
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,220 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,466 for boys
Joao is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God is gracious”. In 2025 it ranked 1,220th for boys in the UK (25 babies) and 1,466th for boys in the US (121 babies).
What does Joao mean?
Hebrew: Portuguese form of John
“God is gracious”
Six kings of Portugal were named Joao, the Portuguese form of John.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Joao a girl's or a boy's name?
Joao is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 25 boys in the UK and 121 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Joao in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,220th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 25 about 1 in 12,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 11% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 25 boys in the UK were named Joao, making it the 1,220th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,275th. Its busiest year was 2007, with 39 boys.
2025 had more boys named Joao than any year since 2018.
Half of all the boys named Joao in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2018. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,153rd in England and Wales.
Joao in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #1,220 |
| 2024 | 20 | #1,397 |
| 2023 | 20 | #1,399 |
| 2022 | 23 | #1,270 |
| 2021 | 19 | #1,422 |
| 2020 | 22 | #1,275 |
| 2019 | 20 | #1,351 |
| 2018 | 31 | #1,017 |
| 2017 | 31 | #1,045 |
| 2016 | 25 | #1,195 |
| 2015 | 33 | #982 |
| 2014 | 21 | #1,308 |
| 2013 | 26 | #1,112 |
| 2012 | 22 | #1,278 |
| 2011 | 27 | #1,077 |
| 2010 | 32 | #969 |
| 2009 | 34 | #900 |
| 2008 | 34 | #885 |
| 2007 | 39 | #779 |
| 2006 | 25 | #1,008 |
| 2005 | 30 | #853 |
| 2004 | 28 | #836 |
| 2003 | 18 | #1,081 |
| 2002 | 15 | #1,151 |
| 2001 | 20 | #913 |
| 2000 | 18 | #955 |
| 1999 | 12 | #1,188 |
| 1998 | 11 | #1,259 |
| 1997 | 15 | #1,025 |
| 1996 | 12 | #1,146 |
How popular is Joao in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,466th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 121 about 1 in 14,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 93% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 121 boys in the US were named Joao, making it the 1,466th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,922nd. Its busiest year was 2024, with 135 boys. It first appears in the records in 1918.
Half of all the boys named Joao in the US since 1880 were born between 1993 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
Joao in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 121 | #1,466 |
| 2024 | 135 | #1,387 |
| 2023 | 107 | #1,623 |
| 2022 | 96 | #1,737 |
| 2021 | 79 | #1,914 |
| 2020 | 76 | #1,922 |
| 2019 | 55 | #2,420 |
| 2018 | 57 | #2,324 |
| 2017 | 60 | #2,216 |
| 2016 | 51 | #2,477 |
| 2015 | 41 | #2,863 |
| 2014 | 48 | #2,540 |
| 2013 | 38 | #2,953 |
| 2012 | 38 | #3,000 |
| 2011 | 41 | #2,851 |
| 2010 | 36 | #3,127 |
| 2009 | 57 | #2,286 |
| 2008 | 61 | #2,185 |
| 2007 | 43 | #2,764 |
| 2006 | 63 | #2,081 |
| 2005 | 63 | #1,979 |
| 2004 | 47 | #2,372 |
| 2003 | 38 | #2,616 |
| 2002 | 52 | #2,064 |
| 2001 | 65 | #1,739 |
| 2000 | 41 | #2,326 |
| 1999 | 28 | #2,935 |
| 1998 | 31 | #2,648 |
| 1997 | 23 | #3,155 |
| 1996 | 18 | #3,672 |
| 1995 | 22 | #3,095 |
| 1994 | 29 | #2,551 |
| 1993 | 24 | #2,859 |
| 1992 | 30 | #2,407 |
| 1991 | 22 | #2,909 |
| 1990 | 27 | #2,483 |
| 1989 | 30 | #2,239 |
| 1988 | 20 | #2,760 |
| 1987 | 18 | #2,834 |
| 1986 | 17 | #2,888 |
| 1985 | 16 | #2,939 |
| 1984 | 13 | #3,268 |
| 1983 | 15 | #2,911 |
| 1982 | 16 | #2,830 |
| 1981 | 27 | #1,995 |
| 1980 | 29 | #1,910 |
| 1979 | 31 | #1,788 |
| 1978 | 26 | #1,913 |
| 1977 | 28 | #1,823 |
| 1976 | 20 | #2,244 |
| 1975 | 18 | #2,360 |
| 1974 | 24 | #1,886 |
| 1973 | 23 | #1,870 |
| 1972 | 17 | #2,243 |
| 1971 | 25 | #1,783 |
| 1970 | 19 | #2,057 |
| 1969 | 6 | #3,934 |
| 1968 | 8 | #3,106 |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 5 | #3,796 |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 5 | #4,195 |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 5 | #4,236 |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 5 | #4,320 |
| 1920 | 5 | #4,284 |
| 1919 | 8 | #3,114 |
| 1918 | 11 | #2,542 |
Names like Joao
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Luca, Rio, Yusuf, Thiago, Jago, Ezra, Iago, Jonah, Jude, Cruz, Kairo, Perez
Names related to Joao
More Hebrew names
Noah, Isabella, Elijah, James, Jack, Mia, Ava, Benjamin, Isaac, Jacob, Ethan, Daniel, Samuel, Elias, Mateo, Elsie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Joao: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/joao, updated 20 October 2026.