# girls named "Jo" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830 "2006-07-01T01:40:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/1 "2006-07-01T01:40:46Z")
What’s up with girls named “Billie Jo”, “Mary Jo”, etc. Does the “Jo” have any significance? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/2 "2006-07-01T01:52:34Z")
It is just a convention used by certain sub-populations in our society that I have sense enough not to name. Everyone that I met that had it got it because of the simple fact that their parents liked how it sounded. Double first names are more common in some areas than others. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/3 "2006-07-01T01:53:33Z")
Jo is often short for Josephine. It was my grandmother’s first name, but it’s not an uncommon middle name either, in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/4 "2006-07-01T01:56:43Z")
Sometimes it is to honor a relative named Joseph. At least that was the reason on _Petticoat Junction_. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/5 "2006-07-01T02:54:12Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Jo is often short for Josephine. [/QUOTE] And for Joanne (or Joan or Jo-Ann, or other variants). All the girls I’ve known nicknamed Jo have been Joannes. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/6 "2006-07-01T03:09:15Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Sometimes it is to honor a relative named Joseph. At least that was the reason on _Petticoat Junction_. [/QUOTE] Yeah, my friend Mary Jo was named after her mother, Mary, and her father, Joseph. I don’t think there is any significance to the name other than that Southern girls are more likely to have two names. Such as Rebecca Ann, Jamie Lee, Willie Belle, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/7 "2006-07-01T03:19:15Z")
My niece, my sister, my mother, my great grandmother, my great great grandmother, and my great great great grandmother have all had the name Mary Josephine. My mother went by Mary, my sister dropped the Mary and goes by Jo now. I think her daughter stills goes by Mary Jo, at least at home. Just to pop everyone’s bubble, my great grandmother’s family was from Philadelphia. Mom was born in Honolulu. Not a hillbilly in the bunch. There is a tradition of strong connection among them, and some heirlooms, as well. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/8 "2006-07-01T03:51:45Z")
My sister has always been known as Jo. Her actual name is Joanne. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/9 "2006-07-01T05:43:20Z")
My mom’s name is “Josefa”, she says it really cuts down on telemarketers who try to call her, since they either pronounce it wrong (Joe-seffa instead of the hispanic pronounciation) or think it’s a mis-spelling of “Joseph.” “Hello, is Joseph _lastname_ here?” “Nope, nobody here’s named that.” “Oh, I’m sorry, thank you.” _click_ For the most part, we call her Josie or “Mom” depending on who’s talking to her. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/10 "2006-07-01T05:48:04Z")
Mine is short for Jolene, just for a change. It’s not something I go by in real life–just a humorous twist on my name that appealed seven years ago (my god, I can’t believe it’s been that long!) ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/11 "2006-07-01T17:14:29Z")
[QUOTE=Triskadecamus] Just to pop everyone’s bubble, my great grandmother’s family was from Philadelphia. Mom was born in Honolulu. Not a hillbilly in the bunch. There is a tradition of strong connection among them, and some heirlooms, as well. Tris [/QUOTE] You know, Southern and hillbilly are not the same thing. Yes, most hillbillies are Southern but most Southerners are not hillbilly. Having two first names is not exclusive to the South but it is more common. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/12 "2006-07-01T17:20:40Z")
My gret-grandmother was a Johannah, and went by “Joey”, “Jo”. She was a middle-class White South African of German heritage, so I don’t think the Southern US, redneck or Hillbilly stereotype applies. Let’s not forget Jo March (in her case, it was a nickname for Joesphine) from _Little Women_, a book which probably went some way to popularising the name. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/13 "2006-07-01T23:31:12Z")
…And, BOB is the male equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/14 "2006-07-02T03:25:17Z")
Can I do a mini-hijack here? What about men named “Jo” - not “Joe”? I read Stephen Fry’s autobiography (he is a British actor) and his sister’s name is Jo and so is one of his male friends. I was sort of surprised at this spelling, and I recall reading about ANOTHER British guy named Jo shortly after reading the book (which is why I remember). Is “Jo” a common short form of “Joseph” in England? Is it not feminine? Or was it pure coincidence that I came upon these two British guys that go by “Jo” as they may be the only ones? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/15 "2006-07-02T08:57:11Z")
Jo was my mom & dad’s papered pedigreed spaniel’s name. Well, at least that’s what they called Jo the cocker. His actual breeder name is unknown. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/16 "2006-07-02T10:33:50Z")
I’ve heard of Jo Jo (Jo-Jo?) for men. My childhood bestest friend’s middle name was Jo. Just Jo. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/17 "2006-07-02T15:43:26Z")
I’ve been asked if my name was one of those compounds, if Johanna is a combination of Jo and Hannah. No, it’s just one name in one piece, originally that way. Actually, the original form of it in Koine Greek was Ioanna, and the -h- was a medieval Latin addition. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/18 "2006-07-03T00:55:07Z")
I used to have a hyphenated name until I changed it legally. I put up with having to spell it for over 40 years. Now I just have to get other people to use the altered version. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/19 "2006-07-03T03:38:44Z")
I went to university with a girl named Jo Lee. Joldine Lee. She was cute and smart, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830/20 "2006-07-03T15:19:43Z")
My mom, who is from Kentucky, was born Martha Josephine MaidenName. My father calls her “Martha Jo” only when he is prepared to withstand the Look Of Death. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-named-jo/362830.md?page=2)