Jo’s Notebook: Personalized Journal for Jo
A simple, pretty journal made for one person: Jo. Her name is set in script above pink watercolor apple blossom on the cover.
- 160 lined pages
- 6" x 9" paperback
- Watercolor apple blossom cover with "Jo's Notebook" on the front
- Printed and shipped by Amazon
What does the name Jo mean?
Jo is the short form that became a name. Behind the Name calls it a short form of Joan, Joanna, Josephine and other names that begin with Jo, and says that in German, Dutch and Norwegian it is mostly masculine, short for Johannes or Josef. Wikipedia lists it as a hypocorism of Joanna, Joanne, Joseph and Josephine. So a Jo can be a Joanna, a Josephine or simply Jo.
Jo nicknames and other forms
Behind the Name lists a whole family: Jojo, Josie, Joey, Joanie, Jodi, Jodie, Jody, Joni and Posy among them. Jojo doubles the fun, Josie adds sparkle, and Posy, an old pet form of Josephine, is a sweet surprise.
Some famous Jos
Jo Stafford was a traditional pop singer whose 1952 hit “You Belong to Me” topped the charts in the US and the UK, the first single by a woman to reach No. 1 in Britain; by 1955 she had sold more records worldwide than any other female artist. Jo Van Fleet won a Tony in 1954 and the next year an Academy Award for East of Eden. And British runner Jo Pavey is a five-time Olympian who won European 10,000-meter gold in 2014, becoming the oldest female European champion to date.
Jo through the decades
Jo was a mid-century name in the US, usually as a full first name. US Social Security data has it at 90th in the 1930s, 60th in the 1940s and 68th in the 1950s, its biggest decade, when nearly 64,000 American girls were named Jo, then 181st in the 1960s. So most Jos today are in their 60s, 70s and 80s.
Did you know?
Literature’s most famous Jo is a writer. In Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (1868 and 1869), Jo March is the tomboy of the four March sisters, the one who writes, and Wikipedia says she became a favorite of many women, including women writers through the 20th century. Later, a professor urges her to become a serious writer instead of writing sensational stories.
Gift ideas for a Jo
- For an aspiring writer. A manuscript notebook, in the spirit of Jo March.
- For a runner. Training logs, in honor of Jo Pavey.
- For a sister. A gift for the Jo of the family, March sisters style.
- For a 70th birthday. Jo peaked in the 1940s and 1950s.
Who is it for and how she can use it
Whether Jo is eight or eighty, a 6" x 9" notebook is a comfortable size: big enough to write in properly, slim enough to carry. The 160 lined pages don’t come with a set layout, so she decides what it’s for. Journal, planner, class notes, recipes, travel log or doodle book all work. And with her name on the cover, nobody will mistake it for theirs.
Why personalized works
Personalized gifts show you thought about the person, not just the occasion. A notebook with Jo on the cover is affordable, useful every day and still feels special. It’s also a safe choice when you’re not sure of someone’s style, because everyone needs somewhere to write things down.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Jo’s Notebook? It’s 6" x 9" (about 15.2 x 22.9 cm), with 160 lined pages in a paperback cover.
Where do I buy it? On Amazon. It’s printed on demand and shipped by Amazon, so delivery and returns go through your usual Amazon account.
Do you have other names? Plenty. If you’re shopping for more than one person, see all name notebooks and our personalized name notebooks page.
Check out Jo's Notebook on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Jo's Notebook is published by Black Stag Publishing.