Joel

#13,208 for girls in 2025, 6 births · #219 for boys in 2025, 1,633 births
Given to boys 99.1% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1981 · 4,540 births
Debut · boys
41 births
In top 100 · boys
26 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
279,655
since 1880

Joel over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201924peak #65, 1981boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#13,2086#2191,633
2024#11,1228#2191,638
2023#11,1698#2121,745
2022—#2091,780
2021#12,2067#2111,797
2020—#2071,843
2019#13,7996#1872,095
2018#11,4278#1882,132
2017#14,1246#1772,265
2016#10,11310#1662,427
2015#16,4195#1582,602
2014#9,51711#1542,672
2013—#1442,727
2012—#1442,780
2011#8,61413#1323,056
2010#11,2469#1323,065
2009#17,2945#1163,564
2008#11,5999#1133,744
2007#10,81810#1233,423
2006#8,23714#1233,455
2005#8,33013#1233,275
2004#8,71612#1243,237
2003#9,04811#1243,245
2002#7,04515#1223,191
2001#6,95615#1263,167
2000#6,80815#1123,380
1999#5,89617#1153,185
1998#6,36015#1173,172
1997#5,22819#1262,989
1996#4,45323#1243,004
1995#4,09925#1203,100
1994#4,23824#1083,368
1993#3,68129#1013,557
1992#4,23624#1003,667
1991#2,93539#1003,762
1990#3,02237#944,000
1989#4,02024#883,939
1988#2,53942#853,940
1987#2,78035#754,138
1986#2,14849#724,507
1985#2,54538#674,623
1984#2,22744#664,524
1983#2,04749#674,345
1982#2,45139#694,446
1981#2,15847#654,540
1980#2,15447#674,564
1979#2,34340#714,216
1978#2,15943#743,810
1977#2,02647#733,824
1976#2,38734#723,722
1975#2,09741#743,729
1974#1,73352#753,491
1973#2,62927#733,570
1972#1,94642#783,528
1971#1,85747#863,499
1970#1,95243#823,839
1969#1,30375#803,681
1968#1,33469#803,683
1967#1,25573#903,476
1966#1,017103#1023,232
1965#1,88737#1142,860
1964#2,67522#1103,135
1963#2,86419#1103,237
1962#2,74120#1133,298
1961#2,41125#1103,518
1960#2,51223#1103,712
1959#3,10415#1163,458
1958#2,02530#1203,224
1957#2,16826#1043,604
1956#2,32123#1063,436
1955#2,22224#1212,806
1954#1,90930#1272,596
1953#2,23622#1342,302
1952#1,97826#1322,228
1951#2,81014#1292,162
1950#1,79428#1302,043
1949#2,85013#1381,987
1948#1,90125#1372,026
1947#1,75230#1332,144
1946#1,80825#1271,999
1945#1,69924#1341,597
1944#1,80822#1251,714
1943#1,55629#1281,745
1942#1,66825#1341,595
1941#2,01817#1421,339
1940#1,59124#1401,278
1939#1,54424#1351,295
1938#1,75220#1341,262
1937#1,49325#1391,116
1936#1,26732#1461,060
1935#1,33130#157919
1934#1,60322#172815
1933#2,27513#185666
1932#2,23514#206624
1931#2,75010#242477
1930#2,11016#263455
1929#2,30114#272420
1928#2,76811#278415
1927#2,85911#284392
1926#3,04610#291379
1925#2,28316#294379
1924#2,66113#295377
1923#2,73212#303348
1922#2,78012#294368
1921#2,76212#281395
1920—#308346
1919#3,2199#280358
1918#3,2449#294348
1917#4,0836#300308
1916#3,5527#309282
1915#3,7956#311272
1914—#321200
1913—#307167
1912#2,9795#332129
1911—#35759
1910—#33255
1909—#32550
1908—#33545
1907—#28654
1906—#28649
1905—#28448
1904—#29443
1903—#34032
1902—#31238
1901—#30234
1900—#37535
1899—#28637
1898—#25548
1897—#33131
1896—#30637
1895—#29537
1894—#26144
1893—#23952
1892—#29239
1891—#29731
1890—#28237
1889—#27437
1888—#25248
1887—#22748
1886—#24349
1885—#21356
1884—#22156
1883—#21251
1882—#22254
1881—#19757
1880—#26241
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Joel was already there! It came in at #262, and was given to 41 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1889–1892, when fewer than 40 boys a year got the name.

Where Joel is popular in 1924

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #341 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,418 boysMNIllinois: #395 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 7,465 boysILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedWIMichigan: #395 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 6,486 boysMINew York: #222 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 2,671 boysNYMassachusetts: #296 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 5,134 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedIAIndiana: #321 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,480 boysINOhio: #435 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 8,999 boysOHPennsylvania: #341 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 6,492 boysPANew Jersey: #198 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,757 boysNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #300 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,812 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedNEMissouri: #208 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,692 boysMOKentucky: #289 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,449 boysKYWest Virginia: #351 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,692 boysWVVirginia: #364 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,044 boysVAMaryland: #229 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,667 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedNMKansas: #315 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,259 boysKSArkansas: #278 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,040 boysARTennessee: #203 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,572 boysTNNorth Carolina: #235 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,935 boysNCSouth Carolina: #168 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,115 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #222 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,629 boysOKLouisiana: #309 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,151 boysLAMississippi: #263 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,052 boysMSAlabama: #189 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 1,297 boysALGeorgia: #162 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,071 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedHITexas: #244 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 1,403 boysTXFlorida: #190 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,296 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Georgia#162 · 1 in 1,071
  2. South Carolina#168 · 1 in 1,115
  3. Alabama#189 · 1 in 1,297
  4. Florida#190 · 1 in 1,296
  5. New Jersey#198 · 1 in 2,757

Best ever in a state: #36 in South Dakota, 1969.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Georgia#162261 in 1,071
South Carolina#168181 in 1,115
Alabama#189201 in 1,297
Florida#19091 in 1,296
New Jersey#198111 in 2,757
Tennessee#203161 in 1,572
Missouri#208181 in 1,692
New York#222361 in 2,671
Oklahoma#222141 in 1,629
Maryland#22951 in 2,667
North Carolina#235181 in 1,935
Texas#244401 in 1,403
Mississippi#26391 in 2,052
Arkansas#27891 in 2,040
Kentucky#289111 in 2,449
Massachusetts#29671 in 5,134
California#300131 in 2,812
Louisiana#30991 in 2,151
Kansas#31551 in 3,259
Indiana#32161 in 4,480
Minnesota#34151 in 4,418
Pennsylvania#341141 in 6,492
West Virginia#35151 in 3,692
Virginia#36461 in 4,044
Illinois#39581 in 7,465
Michigan#39561 in 6,486
Ohio#43561 in 8,999
Alaska———
Arizona———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Maine———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Joel
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • Held #219 since 2024
  • 12 spots since 2020 (#207 → #219)
  • 61 spots since 2015 (#158 → #219)
  • Biggest jump: 76 spots in 1898 (#331 → #255)
  • Biggest drop: 89 spots in 1900 (#286 → #375)
Rise & fade · boys
101 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1981 at #65 (4,540 births)
  • Births halved by 2017, 36 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 26 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 26 yrs · run 1967–1992
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 391
  • Highest: 1 in 391 boys born in 1980 were named Joel (0.26%)
  • Latest: 1 in 1,046 boys born in 2025 (0.10%)
  • Its best rank, #65 in 1981, was only 1 in 395 (0.25%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1980s
  • 15.6% of all boys named Joel (43,566) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s497#197 (1881)#232
1890s393#239 (1893)#284
1900s428#284 (1905)#314
1910s2,178#280 (1919)#314
1920s3,819#272 (1929)#290
1930s8,689#134 (1938)#178
1940s17,424#125 (1944)#134
1950s27,859#104 (1957)#122
1960s33,832#80 (1968)#102
1970s37,228#71 (1979)#76
1980s43,566#65 (1981)#72
1990s33,804#94 (1990)#111
2000s33,681#112 (2000)#121
2010s25,821#132 (2010)#158
2020s10,436#207 (2020)#213

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Joel in 1924

girls
#2,661
13 births · 1 in 96,067 girls
boys
#295
377 births · 1 in 3,005 boys

Top girls' names in 1924

  1. #1Mary73,534
  2. #2Dorothy39,996
  3. #3Helen31,194
  4. #4Betty30,600
  5. #5Margaret26,547
  6. #6Ruth23,601
  7. #7Virginia18,620
  8. #8Mildred15,853
  9. #9Doris15,786
  10. #10Frances15,183
  11. #2,661Joel13

Top boys' names in 1924

  1. #1Robert60,802
  2. #2John59,052
  3. #3William53,506
  4. #4James52,942
  5. #5Charles30,460
  6. #6George27,373
  7. #7Joseph25,421
  8. #8Richard21,244
  9. #9Edward21,126
  10. #10Donald17,929
  11. #295Joel377
More about 1924

girls

1,248,872 girls got a published name in 1924; 1 in 96,067 of them was named Joel, which outranked 54.9% of the 5,900 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joel
  1. #2,514Vonna14
  2. #2,514Wenonah14
  3. #2,514Zulema14
  4. #2,661Joel13
  5. #2,661Adalene13
  6. #2,661Aldean13
  7. #2,661Aldene13
  8. #2,809Alfretta12
  9. #2,809Almyra12
  10. #2,809Alvenia12

Tied with 147 names at #2,661; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1923
Risers
  1. ↑ 459Bettylou#1,327 → #868
  2. ↑ 374Doloris#1,350 → #976
  3. ↑ 332Gaynell#1,283 → #951
  4. ↑ 313Toby#1,305 → #992
  5. ↑ 262Letty#1,213 → #951
Fallers
  1. ↓ 388Izola#966 → #1,354
  2. ↓ 305Fumiko#953 → #1,258
  3. ↓ 303Clemmie#941 → #1,244
  4. ↓ 276Cruz#793 → #1,069
  5. ↓ 271Eris#457 → #728

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,132,742 boys got a published name in 1924; 1 in 3,005 of them was named Joel, which outranked 94.1% of the 4,970 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joel
  1. #292Conrad387
  2. #293Wade385
  3. #294Elton381
  4. #295Joel377
  5. #296Grant368
  6. #297Francisco366
  7. #297Mitchell366
Biggest movers since 1923
Risers
  1. ↑ 436Faustino#1,420 → #984
  2. ↑ 338Conway#1,275 → #937
  3. ↑ 310Coolidge#1,041 → #731
  4. ↑ 291Chas#1,235 → #944
  5. ↑ 287Leopoldo#1,194 → #907
Fallers
  1. ↓ 466Cliff#992 → #1,458
  2. ↓ 403Harding#860 → #1,263
  3. ↓ 367Dempsey#750 → #1,117
  4. ↓ 363Price#924 → #1,287
  5. ↓ 350Terrence#873 → #1,223

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1924 →