Jodee
A feminine form of "Jody" derived from the Hebrew name "Yehudah" meaning "praised".
Name Census estimates that about 2,719 living Americans carry the first name Jodee. It is a predominantly female name (98.8% of registrations). The average person named Jodee today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jodee births was 1973 (102 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jodee. 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
2.7K
~ 1 in 126,059 Americans
Peak year
1973
102 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,128
Tracked since 1940
Gender
Gender distribution for Jodee
Jodee leans heavily female at 98.8% of total registrations, but 38 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Jodee as a male name
- Ranked #13,128 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2003 (6 births)
Jodee as a female name
- Ranked #16,247 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 1973 (102 births)
Popularity
Jodee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jodee from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 805 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jodee 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 Jodee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jodees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. California, Iowa, Texas recorded the most babies named Jodee, while Missouri, Montana, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 55 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jodee
The given name Jodee has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically derived from the Old High German name Jodocus, which itself is a variant of the Latin name Judocus. The name Judocus is believed to have been derived from the Hebrew name Judah, meaning "praised" or "celebrated."
In the Middle Ages, the name Jodocus gained popularity across Europe, particularly in areas where Germanic languages were spoken. It was often associated with saints and religious figures, such as St. Jodocus, a Breton prince who lived in the 7th century and is venerated as a patron saint in parts of France and Belgium.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jodee can be traced back to the 13th century, where it was used as a diminutive form of Jodocus. Over time, the spelling evolved, with variations like Jodey, Jodi, and Jodee emerging in different regions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Jodee or its variants. Among them:
1. Jodee Berry (born 1976), an Australian professional golfer known for her achievements on the Ladies European Tour.
2. Jodee Newnham (born 1974), a former professional tennis player from Australia who reached a career-high ranking of No. 26 in the world.
3. Jodi Benson (born 1961), an American actress and voice artist best known for providing the voice of Ariel in the Disney animated film "The Little Mermaid."
4. Jodi Picoult (born 1966), an American writer renowned for her numerous novels, including "My Sister's Keeper" and "The Pact."
5. Jodee Mundy (born 1971), an American singer-songwriter and actress who has appeared in various films and television shows.
While the name Jodee may have fallen out of widespread use in recent times, its rich history and connections to both religious and cultural traditions make it a name with a fascinating story to tell.
People
Jodee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jodee 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
Jodee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jodee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,719 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jodee 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 126,059 US residents.
Is Jodee a common name?
We classify Jodee as "Rare". It ranks above 94.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,145 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jodee most popular?
The single biggest year for Jodee was 1973, when 102 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jodee is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jodee a female name?
Yes, 98.8% of people registered as Jodee 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.