Joao

Did you know?

A few things about Joao you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Joao

Joao Grimaldo

Peruvian association football player

Choose Joao and your child shares a first name with Joao Grimaldo, a Peruvian association football player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Joao, like who?” Joao Grimaldo's Wikipedia article is available in 83 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Joao Grimaldo on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Chalisimo5, CC0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 14,124 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Joao, 121 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Joao would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryJoao first shows up in US birth records in 1918, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 107 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2024, when it reached #1,387.
• 📈Then vs nowJoao is 3.4× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 47,847 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 14,124.
• 🚀TrendJoao has climbed 456 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,466. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedJoao is most popular in Connecticut, where it ranks #382, followed by Massachusetts (#438) and New Jersey (#766). It's in the top 1,000 in 4 states.
• 💬MeaningJoao is a Portuguese form of John, which means “God is gracious”. Our records link it to Hebrew and Portuguese roots.

About the name Joao

Joao is a boy name of Hebrew and Portuguese origin meaning “God is gracious”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with J and ending in “-oao”. US birth records list Joao for boys from 1918 to 2025, in 65 of those 108 years. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked #1,387 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,466, with 121 babies.

Origin:Hebrew namesPortuguese names