Joy
From the noun joy, first used by Puritans in the 17th century.
Every Joy since 1883 — 143,324 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Joy
Joy is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #419 in 2025 with 747 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1883, 143,324 American babies have been named Joy. Its peak came in 1957, when 2,945 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
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 Joy stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Joy 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 | 747 | #419 | 27 | #3,993 |
| 2024 | 707 | #440 | 20 | #4,968 |
| 2023 | 683 | #451 | 15 | #6,069 |
| 2022 | 688 | #462 | 20 | #4,929 |
| 2021 | 779 | #407 | 13 | #6,496 |
| 2020 | 788 | #396 | 18 | #5,135 |
| 2019 | 918 | #344 | 14 | #6,248 |
| 2018 | 902 | #353 | 11 | #7,357 |
| 2017 | 968 | #336 | 17 | #5,403 |
| 2016 | 954 | #352 | 10 | #7,864 |
| 2015 | 734 | #430 | 12 | #6,877 |
| 2014 | 699 | #457 | 23 | #4,324 |
| 2013 | 653 | #470 | 14 | #6,066 |
| 2012 | 622 | #495 | 11 | #7,283 |
| 2011 | 585 | #502 | 10 | #7,778 |
| 2010 | 632 | #478 | 17 | #5,362 |
| 2009 | 587 | #517 | 10 | #7,992 |
| 2008 | 575 | #536 | 8 | #9,412 |
| 2007 | 604 | #520 | 11 | #7,338 |
| 2006 | 608 | #502 | 9 | #8,370 |
| 2005 | 584 | #510 | 9 | #7,974 |
| 2004 | 615 | #480 | 6 | #10,632 |
| 2003 | 583 | #494 | 12 | #6,052 |
| 2002 | 590 | #477 | 10 | #6,789 |
| 2001 | 580 | #480 | 7 | #8,736 |
| 2000 | 607 | #457 | 11 | #6,115 |
| 1995 | 593 | #434 | 6 | #8,313 |
| 1990 | 697 | #375 | 17 | #3,527 |
| 1985 | 1,123 | #230 | 13 | #3,509 |
| 1980 | 1,717 | #165 | 9 | #4,313 |
| 1975 | 2,306 | #123 | 10 | #3,541 |
| 1970 | 1,773 | #184 | 16 | #2,350 |
| 1965 | 1,975 | #177 | 7 | #3,400 |
| 1960 | 2,776 | #152 | 20 | #1,841 |
| 1955 | 2,389 | #152 | 17 | #1,934 |
| 1950 | 1,775 | #159 | 20 | #1,681 |
| 1945 | 1,389 | #168 | 16 | #1,734 |
| 1940 | 1,310 | #160 | 29 | #1,267 |
| 1935 | 1,349 | #148 | 42 | #985 |
| 1930 | 1,268 | #163 | 52 | #934 |
| 1925 | 772 | #236 | 61 | #853 |
| 1920 | 376 | #337 | 48 | #996 |
| 1915 | 190 | #445 | 35 | #1,096 |
| 1910 | 48 | #605 | 11 | #1,010 |
| 1905 | 38 | #567 | 6 | #1,169 |
| 1900 | 27 | #695 | 10 | #874 |
| 1895 | 24 | #632 | — | — |
| 1890 | 10 | #904 | — | — |
| 1885 | 9 | #774 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Joy
- Joy Adamson Biologist · 1910–1980
- Joy Fleming Singer · 1944–2017
- Joy Page Actor · 1924–2008
- Joy Behar Actor · b. 1942
- Joy Actor · b. 1996
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Joy mean?
From the noun joy, first used by Puritans in the 17th century.
How popular is the name Joy in 2025?
Joy ranked #419 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 747 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Joy?
143,324 babies have been named Joy in the United States since 1883, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Joy most popular?
Joy peaked in 1957, when 2,945 newborns received the name.
Is Joy a boy or girl name?
Joy is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 98% of babies with the name.
Is the name Joy rising or falling?
Joy has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Joy?
Well-known people named Joy include Joy Adamson (biologist), Joy Fleming (singer), Joy Page (actor).