Find out how popular the last name Jo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jo.

Jo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jo in America

Jo is the 9108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jo surname appeared 3,588 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Jo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Jo

The surname "Jo" is believed to have its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region of Anatolia, which is now part of modern-day Turkey. The name is thought to have emerged during the Byzantine era, around the 5th to 6th century AD.

One of the earliest known references to the name "Jo" can be found in ancient Greek manuscripts, where it was used as a shortened form of the name "Ioannes," which was derived from the Hebrew name "Yohanan," meaning "Graced by God." This name was also transliterated into Latin as "Johannes" and later became popular in various European languages, including English, as "John."

The surname "Jo" is believed to have been adopted by families who had ancestral ties to the region of Anatolia or who were descendants of individuals with the given name "Ioannes" or its variants. As these families migrated to different parts of the world, the surname "Jo" spread and evolved, taking on various spellings and pronunciations.

In the 12th century, records show that a noble family from the Byzantine Empire, known as the Jos, held significant power and influence in the region. One notable member of this family was Alexios Jo, who served as a military commander and governor during the reign of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180).

Another prominent figure bearing the surname "Jo" was John Jo, a 14th-century scholar and theologian from Constantinople. He was known for his writings on theology and philosophy, and his works were widely circulated throughout the Byzantine Empire and beyond.

During the Ottoman period, which began in the late 13th century, the surname "Jo" continued to be used by families of both Greek and Turkish descent. One notable example is Hasan Jo, a 16th-century Ottoman architect who was responsible for the design and construction of several mosques and other buildings in Istanbul and other parts of the Ottoman Empire.

In the 18th century, the surname "Jo" can be found in records from various parts of Europe, particularly in areas with significant Greek or Turkish immigrant communities. For instance, a merchant named Petros Jo was recorded as living in Venice, Italy, in the mid-1700s, where he was involved in the lucrative trade between the Ottoman Empire and the Italian city-states.

As the name "Jo" spread across the globe due to migration and the expansion of trade routes, it took on different variations and spellings, such as "Joh," "Joo," and "Yoh." Notable individuals with these variations of the surname include the 19th-century British explorer and writer, Thomas Joh, who documented his travels through South America, and the 20th-century American artist, Emily Joo, whose abstract paintings gained international recognition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Jo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jo, please contact us.

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