Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1970

Jody

Meaning Variant of Judy, diminutive of Judith, q Gender Unisex · 64% girls Rank 2025 #6,968 Trend → Stable

Variant of Judy, diminutive of Judith, q.v.

Rank 2025
#6,968
among girls · ↓458 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
56
named Jody · -16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 100,454
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1970
3,700 babies
All-time total
87,407
#547 all-time among girls
First recorded
1910
in Social Security records

Jody popularity over time

87,407 babies have been named Jody since 1910, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s 5 19 24 2 – #5,166
1920s 44 97 141 14 +488% #3,231
1930s 260 146 406 41 +188% #1,217
1940s 1,294 600 1,894 189 +367% #467
1950s 13,276 3,404 16,680 1,668 +781% #170
1960s 17,670 9,271 26,941 2,694 +62% #165
1970s 16,222 11,479 27,701 2,770 +3% #153
1980s 5,019 3,402 8,421 842 -70% #293
1990s 1,264 1,417 2,681 268 -68% #984
2000s 448 888 1,336 134 -50% #2,320
2010s 231 576 807 81 -40% #3,958
2020s (to 2025) 112 263 375 63 -23% #5,644

The story of Jody

Jody is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #6,968 in 2025 with 16 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1910, 87,407 American babies have been named Jody, about 64% girls and 36% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1970, when 3,700 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Jody stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Jody?

The median living Jody is about 55 years old; half are between 49 and 64. An estimated 78 thousand people named Jody are alive in the United States today.

median 55 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Jody year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 16 #6,968 40 #3,057
2024 18 #6,510 49 #2,690
2023 21 #5,838 50 #2,631
2022 15 #7,440 37 #3,243
2021 22 #5,644 47 #2,711
2020 20 #5,965 40 #2,953
2019 21 #5,879 34 #3,388
2018 20 #6,135 52 #2,490
2017 18 #6,660 48 #2,615
2016 20 #6,277 48 #2,604
2015 18 #6,844 57 #2,313
2014 25 #5,377 68 #2,071
2013 23 #5,733 59 #2,218
2012 25 #5,466 61 #2,178
2011 38 #3,958 74 #1,894
2010 23 #5,868 75 #1,905
2009 34 #4,412 74 #1,931
2008 31 #4,807 84 #1,781
2007 40 #3,948 102 #1,545
2006 35 #4,204 87 #1,650
2005 38 #3,839 79 #1,699
2004 49 #3,151 103 #1,390
2003 44 #3,319 100 #1,357
2002 57 #2,686 87 #1,463
2001 53 #2,789 92 #1,384
2000 67 #2,320 80 #1,510
1995 121 #1,363 126 #991
1990 188 #984 214 #695
1985 491 #446 295 #506
1980 848 #293 604 #316
1975 1,685 #162 939 #220
1970 2,200 #153 1,500 #184
1965 1,571 #209 676 #290
1960 1,841 #196 994 #254
1955 1,509 #206 297 #425
1950 433 #391 138 #579
1945 72 #891 27 #1,286
1940 53 #983 24 #1,383
1935 33 #1,251 16 #1,792
1930 11 #2,770 9 #2,888
1925 10 #3,231 10 #2,847
1920 7 #4,175 5 #4,631
1915 – – – –
1910 – – 6 #1,505
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Jody

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Jody Scheckter Jody Scheckter South African racing driver (born 1950) Contemporary
  2. 2 Jody Craddock Jody Craddock English footballer and artist b. 1975 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Jody Williams Jody Williams American political activist (born 1950) Contemporary
  4. 4 Jody Lukoki Jody Lukoki Congolese-Dutch footballer (1992–2022) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Jody, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Jody?

The median living Jody is about 55 years old. Half of all living Jodys are between 49 and 64 years old.

How many people named Jody are alive today?

An estimated 78 thousand people named Jody are alive in the United States, based on 87,407 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Jody mean?

Variant of Judy, diminutive of Judith, q.v.

How popular is the name Jody in 2025?

Jody ranked #6,968 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 16 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Jody?

87,407 babies have been named Jody in the United States since 1910, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Jody most popular?

Jody peaked in 1970, when 3,700 newborns received the name.

Is Jody a boy or girl name?

Jody is used for both: about 64% of babies named Jody have been girls and 36% boys.

Is the name Jody rising or falling?

Jody has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Jody?

Well-known people named Jody include Jody Scheckter (racing driver), Jody Craddock (soccer player), Jody Williams (social activist).

Names like Jody

Names that sound and feel close to Jody: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Jody with similar names → More names starting with J →