Meaning of the nameJoão
- Male
- Hebrew origin
- Jo-ão
- Biblical name
João is a masculine name that comes from Hebrew Yôḥānān, 'God is gracious', and corresponds to English John and French Jean.
- People (2022)
- 3,430,608
- Rank in Brazil
- #4
- Median age
- 23 years
- 2010 Census
- 2,984,119
- people
João in the 2022 Census
People with the first name João, by the decade they were born. In the chart, 70 = the 1970s and 20+ = 2020 to 2022. The largest group was born in the 2010s (720,923 people).
19,735 women 3,410,873 men
Source: IBGE, 2022 Demographic Census, Nomes no Brasil. The census counts the first name of people alive in 2022; small counts are not published, and the first group covers everyone born before 1940. How to read these data.
Where the name João is most common
States with the highest share of people named João in the population, in the 2022 Census.
- Rio Grande do Norte 2.459%
- Piauí 2.148%
- Ceará 2.148%
- Paraíba 2.124%
- Tocantins 2.119%
All states
| State | People | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| São Paulo | 641,229 | 1.444% |
| Minas Gerais | 375,026 | 1.826% |
| Rio de Janeiro | 238,185 | 1.484% |
| Bahia | 221,171 | 1.564% |
| Paraná | 216,247 | 1.890% |
| Ceará | 188,910 | 2.148% |
| Rio Grande do Sul | 166,805 | 1.533% |
| Pernambuco | 162,453 | 1.793% |
| Goiás | 143,748 | 2.037% |
| Pará | 137,135 | 1.689% |
| Maranhão | 128,094 | 1.890% |
| Santa Catarina | 114,636 | 1.506% |
| Paraíba | 84,434 | 2.124% |
| Rio Grande do Norte | 81,199 | 2.459% |
| Piauí | 70,278 | 2.148% |
| Mato Grosso | 68,718 | 1.878% |
| Espírito Santo | 59,257 | 1.546% |
| Alagoas | 54,689 | 1.749% |
| Amazonas | 53,085 | 1.347% |
| Mato Grosso do Sul | 49,291 | 1.788% |
| Distrito Federal | 47,356 | 1.681% |
| Sergipe | 37,307 | 1.688% |
| Tocantins | 32,034 | 2.119% |
| Rondônia | 26,426 | 1.671% |
| Acre | 14,373 | 1.732% |
| Amapá | 10,674 | 1.455% |
| Roraima | 7,848 | 1.233% |
States with fewer than 15 people with the name are not shown: IBGE does not publish those counts.
About the name João
According to Wiktionary, João comes from Old Portuguese Joan, Latin Iōhannēs and New Testament Greek Ἰωάννης, a contraction of the Biblical Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yôḥānān), literally 'God is gracious'. Behind the Name gives João as the Portuguese form of Iohannes and explains John through the roots Yahweh and ḥanan, 'to be gracious'. It is the name of figures in the New Testament, among them the apostle João. In the 2022 Census, IBGE recorded 3,430,608 people named João, with a median age of 23. Wiktionary gives it as a doublet of Ivan, Ian, Jean, Ruan and Geovane.
Sources
- Wiktionary: João · en.wiktionary.org · meaning
- Behind the Name: João · behindthename.com · meaning
- Behind the Name: John · behindthename.com · meaning
- Dicionário de Nomes em Uso no Brasil: João · dicionariodenomesdobrasil.com.br · usage
Questions about the name João
What does the name João mean?
João means “God is gracious”, according to Wiktionary and Behind the Name.
How many people are named João in Brazil?
IBGE's 2022 Census recorded 3,430,608 people with the first name João, which ranks it number 4 among the country's names. The largest group was born in the 2010s.
Is João a boy's or a girl's name?
João is a male name: in the 2022 Census, 19,735 women and 3,410,873 men had this name.
What is the origin of the name João?
João is a name of Hebrew origin. The sources are listed at the end of the page.
In which Brazilian state is João most common?
Proportionally, in Rio Grande do Norte: 2.459% of the state's population is named João (81,199 people), according to the 2022 Census.
Names that also mean grace
See all- Jean♂Yahweh is gracious171,850 people
- Ruan♂'God is gracious' (a form of Juan, equivalent to João)160,379 people
- Ivan♂Slavic form of João, 'Yahweh is gracious'120,452 people
- Geovane♂Form of Giovanni, 'Yahweh is gracious'67,942 people
- Juan♂Yahweh is gracious67,908 people
- Ian♂Form of João, 'Yahweh is gracious'56,390 people
- Giovani♂Form of Giovanni, the Italian John, 'Yahweh is gracious'30,487 people
- Geovani♂Form of Giovanni (João), 'Yahweh is gracious'27,307 people
More names of Hebrew origin
See all- José♂He will add5,164,752 people
- Gabriel♂God is my strong man1,211,227 people
- Davi♂Beloved, dear876,593 people
- Rafael♂God has healed873,321 people
- Daniel♂God is my judge770,743 people
- Miguel♂Who is like God?715,241 people
- Samuel♂Name of God522,131 people
- Manoel♂Variant of Manuel, a shortened form of Emanuel, 'God is with us'478,590 people
Spotted a mistake? Report a correction for João with a source. See the methodology.