girl's name
Joy
JOY
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 158,118
the United States
#419
2025 births
Joy is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning exactly what it says, taken from the English word. It ranks ninety-fifth in France and is reviving in the English-speaking markets after peaking in 1957.
- Joy is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1957, when 2,945 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1950s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 4,283 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1883.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Joy over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 57 |
| 1890s | 214 |
| 1900s | 428 |
| 1910s | 2,028 |
| 1920s | 7,862 |
| 1930s | 13,594 |
| 1940s | 15,797 |
| 1950s | 24,701 |
| 1960s | 21,922 |
| 1970s | 20,275 |
| 1980s | 11,813 |
| 1990s | 6,296 |
| 2000s | 6,026 |
| 2010s | 7,806 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,505 |
What Joy means
Joy means joy, or great gladness. It is the ordinary English noun used directly as a name, from the Latin gaudia by way of Old French, so it names the feeling rather than describing a person who has it.
Where Joy comes from
Joy comes from the Middle English joie, borrowed from Old French, from the Latin gaudia, the plural of gaudium, gladness. It was used as a given name in the Middle Ages and then revived by the Puritans, who favored abstract virtue and emotion names — Faith, Hope, Prudence, Mercy and Joy among them. That Puritan revival is why the name reads as English rather than Latin despite its root. Its appearance in the French top hundred is unusual: French normally uses Joie for the noun and does not use it as a name, so Joy here is an English borrowing rather than a native form.
Joy in use
Joy ranks ninety-fifth in France with about 560 births in 2025, which is notable because it is an English word functioning as a name in a French list. Our American records show a peak in 1957 and a revival now, and it appears in Northern Ireland at 282 and Scotland at 402. Our data carries it from 1883 and holds more than 156,000 births.
How popular is Joy?
In 2025, Joy was given to 774 babies in the United States, ranking #419 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Joy is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Joy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Joy also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Joy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Joy in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Joy
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Joy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Joy
What does the name Joy mean?
Joy means "joy" — it is the English word, from the Latin gaudium by way of Old French.
Is Joy a Puritan name?
It was revived by the Puritans alongside Faith, Hope and Prudence, though it was used earlier.
Is Joy used in France?
Yes, unusually. It ranks 95th there as an English borrowing; French uses Joie for the noun.
Is Joy still popular?
It is reviving in the English-speaking markets after peaking in 1957.
Is Joy a girl's or a boy's name?
Joy is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Joy?
Joy has 1 syllable.
Is Joy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Joy currently ranks #95 in the United States. After peaking in the 1950s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.