Joao

Joao - A very unique male name

Joao appeared on the charts for the first time in 1918 on position #1742. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Joao and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Joao? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Joao. The baby boy name Joao was given to 81 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1397 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 18,102 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Joao peaked in popularity 55 years ago in 1971 on position 1198.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Joao, 1-5?

Joao is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Joao is currently topping the baby name charts in Connecticut at position #416 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,490.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Joao is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Joao origin and meaning

Portuguese form of John (written João)

The Portuguese form of John — from Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious' — written without its tilde in US records

João is one of the most traditional boys' names in Portugal and Brazil; in American data the accent is dropped, giving Joao. It has appeared in the US records since 1918 and is currently near its highest point.

Attested etymology

Joao is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Joao, pop culture references for the name Joao and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Joao

We've found the following names that sound similar to Joao, sorted by popularity.

Joshua / Jack / Jose / Joe / Jesse / Jesus / Jay / Josiah / Jake / Jessie /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Joao

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Joao a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Joao?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

zhoo-OW · /ʒʊˈaÊŠ/
In Portuguese, João is a single nasal syllable, not the two syllables the data table records — English speakers usually anglicise it to two.

Around the world

• João (Portuguese) — The original form, with the tilde that US records drop

Spellings and nicknames

• John — The English form of the same name
• Juan — The Spanish form of the same name
• João — The correctly accented Portuguese spelling

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

InternationalBiblicalClassic

Why parents choose it

A heritage choice for Portuguese- and Brazilian-American families — classic at home, distinctive in the US.

Worth knowing

• The missing tilde changes the look of the name, and English speakers will rarely say it the Portuguese way.