The numbers don’t lie: With more than 14,700 Starbucks stores in the United States, and the same amount elsewhere worldwide, coffee is king.

And it’s not just baristas that get the love.

But next time you order a cup of joe, java, a cuppa, a brew, or some mud – be a little smarter about your percolated passion. Why is coffee called joe? Read on to find out!

Why is coffee called joe?

As it turns out, it’s not that simple. There are several theories to answer why they call it a cup of joe. As coffee pods and pour-over technology have revolutionized how we drink coffee at home and work, the linguistic history of coffee remains a mystery.

Josephus Daniels, U.S. Navy

The most commonly accepted theory is that Josephus Daniels prohibited the use of alcohol onboard all U.S. Navy ships.

Daniels, originally a newspaper editor, was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to be the Secretary of the Navy during the scourge of World War I. Daniels’s top aide was future three-term President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who is famous for establishing the New Deal.

Although Roosevelt made many of the strategic and tactical calls during The Great War, Daniels had plenty on his plate – or, in his cup! In 1914, Daniels fully banned the consumption of alcohol on Navy ships.

Legend has it that the most obvious (and strongest!) substitute was coffee. Frustrated American sailors had some snark in 1914, because they started calling coffee “a cup of Josephus,” or, eventually – “a cup of joe.”

Myth or Fact?

While this story is solid gold on many levels – it succeeds in being patriotic and snarky, for one – it’s probably not accurate. Experts don’t find the first use of the term “a cup of joe” in parlance until 1930.

That’s well after the end of World War I, which ended via a ceasefire on what we now called Armistice Day on November 11 of 1918.

Cuppa jamoke?

Another theory for coffee drinkers is that “cup of joe” comes from some form of the phrase “cup of jamoke,” which is a portmanteau of the words java and mocha. Both java and mocha are terms for coffee in different parts of the world, or in different contexts – much like the term “cowboy coffee” in the South means coffee with bean grindings in the bottom, or how “Chicory” is a type of coffee typical of New Orleans and other Cajun areas.

Last but not least, “joe” could come from “average joe.” No matter where you are in the world, you will find people drinking coffee at all hours of the day. You can find latte art from Italy to Seattle, and espresso from France to Japan. Because coffee is a drink for anyone and everyone – and especially for the average working person – this theory could also be somewhat or completely true.

Learn More About Coffee

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Whether you prefer a cup of joe, a cuppa jamoke, or some “dirt” or “mud,” you can call it whatever you like. You can even learn more about how to become a coffee connoisseur here. Cheers!