Jody
Jody is a girl's name of Hebrew origin.
Meaning
Praise, praised one, or woman from Judea.
Origin and history
Jody originated as a diminutive form of names like Judith, meaning 'woman from Judea', or Joan. Popularity peaked in the mid-to-late 20th century in the United States, though its contemporary usage has become far less common. It functions as a unisex name, though historically popular for both girls and boys.
Popularity in the United States
55,845 babies in the United States have been named Jody since 1880. It ranks #546 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1989.
States where it is most popular
- CA (8.5 %)
- OH (7.3 %)
- NY (7.1 %)
- PA (6.9 %)
- MI (6.4 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 5 |
| 1920-1930 | 44 |
| 1930-1940 | 260 |
| 1940-1950 | 1,294 |
| 1950-1960 | 13,276 |
| 1960-1970 | 17,670 |
| 1970-1980 | 16,222 |
| 1980-1990 | 5,019 |
| 1990-2000 | 1,264 |
| 2000-2010 | 448 |
| 2010-2019 | 231 |
| 2020-2029 | 112 |
Famous people named Jody
- Jody Watley: Singer, Songwriter
Fun facts
- While popular for females in the mid-20th century, Jody has also seen consistent historical usage as a masculine name.
- It evolved as an informal pet name for Judith and Joan before gaining standing as an independent given name.