Jobeth
A feminine name combining "Jo" and "Beth", meaning "God's gift".
Name Census estimates that about 440 living Americans carry the first name Jobeth. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jobeth today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jobeth births was 1985 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jobeth. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
440
~ 1 in 778,987 Americans
Peak year
1985
43 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2003 SSA rank
#13,051
Tracked since 1942
Popularity
Jobeth: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jobeth from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 212 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jobeth by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jobeth during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jobeth
The name Jobeth is believed to have originated in the United States during the late 19th or early 20th century. It is a combination of the names Jo and Beth, which are diminutive forms of the names Joseph and Elizabeth, respectively. The name Joseph has Hebrew origins, meaning "he will add," while Elizabeth is derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning "my God is an oath."
The earliest recorded use of the name Jobeth is somewhat unclear, as it is a relatively modern creation. However, it gained popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly in the United States. One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Jobeth was Jobeth Williams, an American actress born in 1949, known for her roles in films such as "Poltergeist" and "Kramer vs. Kramer."
Another prominent figure with the name Jobeth was Jobeth McDuffie, an American politician who served as the Mayor of Albany, New York, from 1997 to 2005. Additionally, Jobeth Bevill was a noted American opera singer who performed with various opera companies throughout the 20th century.
While the name Jobeth is not found in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been used by a few notable individuals throughout history. Jobeth Colter was an American artist and sculptor who lived from 1922 to 2010, known for her works depicting Native American themes. Jobeth Bradbury was an American author and journalist who wrote several books on travel and culture, born in 1933.
Despite its relatively recent origins, the name Jobeth has gained a modest following, particularly in the United States. Its combination of the traditional names Joseph and Elizabeth gives it a unique and modern appeal, while still retaining a connection to its historical roots.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Jobeth
People
Jobeth + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jobeth as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jobeth: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jobeth?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 440 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jobeth going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 778,987 US residents.
Is Jobeth a common name?
We classify Jobeth as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 486 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jobeth most popular?
The single biggest year for Jobeth was 1985, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jobeth is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jobeth a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jobeth in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.