Joao
Boy name · #1473 in 2025 · Uniqueness 50/100
Joao ranks #1473 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 121 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2864, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,876 boys born in 2025 was named Joao.
The 107-year story
Joao first appears in the Social Security records in 1918, when 11 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 135 babies and a rank of #1387. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Joao per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Joao against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Joao in class?
Joao scores 50 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Joao is most common
Geography matters for names, and Joao is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Joaos were TX (17), CA (15), MA (11), NJ (8), CT (7). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Joao
Statistically, parents drawn to Joao tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jacobo, Renzo, Joab, Amado, and Juno.
JacoboRenzoJoabAmadoJunoLucioCosmoJoan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Joao | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 121 | #1466 |
| 2024 | 135 | #1387 |
| 2023 | 107 | #1623 |
| 2022 | 96 | #1737 |
| 2021 | 79 | #1915 |
| 2020 | 76 | #1922 |
| 2019 | 55 | #2421 |
| 2018 | 57 | #2325 |
| 2017 | 60 | #2217 |
| 2016 | 51 | #2477 |
| 2015 | 41 | #2864 |
| 2014 | 48 | #2542 |
| 2013 | 38 | #2955 |
| 2012 | 38 | #3002 |
| 2011 | 41 | #2852 |
| 2010 | 36 | #3128 |
| 2009 | 57 | #2287 |
| 2008 | 61 | #2186 |
| 2007 | 43 | #2765 |
| 2006 | 63 | #2082 |
| 2005 | 63 | #1983 |
| 2004 | 47 | #2376 |
| 2003 | 38 | #2620 |
| 2002 | 52 | #2068 |
| 2001 | 65 | #1743 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Joao a popular boy name?
Joao ranked #1473 among boys in 2025 with 121 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2864.
When was the name Joao most popular?
Joao peaked in 2024, when 135 American boys received the name (ranked #1387 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Joao?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,876 newborn American boys was named Joao. It scores 50/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.