Jo

Jo is a given name that is commonly used as a standalone name or as a short form of longer names. In English-speaking countries, Jo is often a female name, derived from Joanna, Joanne, or Jocelyn, but it has also been used as a masculine nickname in some contexts. It can function as a diminutive of Joseph as well, though many bear it independently.

As a diminutive, Jo traces to Hebrew Yosef, meaning "God will increase." When used on its own, Jo emerged as a late 19th to 20th-century given name and remains in use today. In Korean contexts, Jo is a romanization of the surname 조.

In literature and film, Jo has appeared as a character name, for example Jo March, protagonist of Little Women, illustrating Jo's place as a familiar, approachable given name in Western culture.

Notable people with the name include Jo Brand, a British comedian and actress; Jo Nesbø, a Norwegian writer and musician; and Jo Walton, a Welsh-Canadian author. These examples reflect the name's cross-cultural presence across fields.

Related forms include Joseph, Josephine, Joanna, Joanne, and Jocelyn; Jo also functions as a nickname for these names. The spelling Jo is widely recognized in many languages and remains in common use as both a given name and a casual form of longer names.