It’s National Joe Day

by | Mar 27, 2022

Today’s Post by Joe Farace

On March 27th National Joe Day encourages everyone to enjoy a cup of joe with all of your friends that are named Joe, Jo, Joey, Joseph, and Josephine. While you’re at it, don’t forget Joette, Jody, Johanna, Jodie, Dolly Parton’s Jolene or any other variant of the name Joe. It seems that quite a few nicknames can be created from this one name.

According to the Social Security Administration, the name Joseph was ranked No. 6 from 1893 to 1899 behind John, William, James, George, and Charles. In 1910, it moved to No. 5. From 1911 to 2005 it was ranked No. 12 or lower. Nowadays, Joe is ranked as the 103rd most popular given name in the United States with an estimated population of 580,202. This name is in the 99th percentile, this means that nearly 99% of all the other first names are more popular. Yikes!

Famous Joes include baseball players Shoeless Joe Jackson and Joe DiMaggio, actors Joe Pesci and Jodie Foster and football players Joe Montana and Joe Namath, and photographers Joe McNally, Joe Stern, Joe DiFlorio and Josef Sudek.

How To Observe #NationalJoeDay. During their research, the National Day Calendar found this day has a few different versions, especially as to how it is celebrated. Here’s a few suggestion, including one from me:

  • Honor all people with the name “Joe.”
  • Read the science fiction novella Call Me Joe by Poul Anderson
  • Rent/Buy/Watch the 1943 Spencer Tracy film A Guy Named Joe. DO NOT watch Steven Spielberg’s 1989 film Always that is a terrible remake of A Guy Named Joe

Another way to celebrate the day is by telling stories about friends and family that are/were named Joe, like my late Dad, Joe Sr. We all know someone from our past or present who made our lives just a little bit better just by being the Joe or Jo that they are.

Use #NationalJoeDay to post on social media.

In Western Christianity, March 19, is the the Feast of Saint Joseph and is the principal feast day for Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the legal father of Jesus Christ. In the Czech Republic, St. Joseph’s Day is a more subdued version of St. Patrick’s Day and is celebrated around the same time in March. Historically, Josef was one of the most common Czech male’s first names. For example, the village of Josefovice used to have at least one Josef living in every one of its houses. The name is no longer on the top of the country’s name popularity charts, having been replaced with Filip, Tomáš, Adam, Jan or Lukáš.

If you enjoyed today’s blog post and would like to buy me to a cup of Earl Grey tea ($2.50,) please click here. And if you do, thanks so much.