2000
#11,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,517
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Jo
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 曺, meaning "assistant" or "to assist."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,181 Americans carry the last name Jo. That puts it at #7,128 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,156 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jo surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Jo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,156
Census rank
#7,128
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,518 bearers of the surname Jo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7128th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jo
Among Census respondents with the surname Jo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Jo bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Jo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander77.5% · 3,500
- White11.7% · 530
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 225
- Black or African American3.3% · 150
- Two or more races2.2% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jo
Jo appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,588
+1,071 bearers (+42.6%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 2,368 places
2020
#7,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,518
+930 bearers (+25.9%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Up 1,980 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,476 | 2,517 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,108 | 3,588 | 1.22 | +1,071 bearers (+42.6%) | Up 2,368 places |
| 2020 | #7,128 | 4,518 | 1.51 | +930 bearers (+25.9%) | Up 1,980 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Jo surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,108 | #7,128 | 21.7% |
| Count | 3,588 | 4,518 | 25.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.51 | 23.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jo bearers went from 3,588 to 4,518 (+25.9% change). The surname moved up 1,980 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,108 to #7,128.
FAQ
Jo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jo?
Name Census estimates that about 5,181 living Americans carry the surname Jo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,156 residents.
How common is Jo?
Jo ranks #7,128 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,518 people with the surname Jo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,181), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Jo.
Has Jo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jo went from 3,588 recorded bearers to 4,518. That is an increase of 930 (+25.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,108 to #7,128.
What does the Census say about the background of Jo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Hispanic (5.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (3,500 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (77.5%), White (11.7%), Hispanic (5.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Jo (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Jo mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 曺, meaning "assistant" or "to assist." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Jo (1.51 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Jo?
Want to know how common the surname Jo is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.