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#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201975peak #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 1975

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #120 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 562 boysAKMaine: #68 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 345 boysMEVermont: #61 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 270 boysVTNew Hampshire: #62 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 289 boysNHWashington: #49 for boys · 110 births · 1 in 211 boysWAIdaho: #89 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 424 boysIDMontana: #89 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 384 boysMTNorth Dakota: #72 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 317 boysNDMinnesota: #52 for boys · 133 births · 1 in 202 boysMNIllinois: #71 for boys · 206 births · 1 in 380 boysILWisconsin: #48 for boys · 148 births · 1 in 209 boysWIMichigan: #66 for boys · 171 births · 1 in 362 boysMINew York: #90 for boys · 198 births · 1 in 569 boysNYMassachusetts: #68 for boys · 86 births · 1 in 385 boysMARhode Island: #68 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 325 boysRIOregon: #59 for boys · 61 births · 1 in 258 boysORNevada: #96 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 420 boysNVWyoming: #90 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 412 boysWYSouth Dakota: #62 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 249 boysSDIowa: #52 for boys · 99 births · 1 in 198 boysIAIndiana: #79 for boys · 86 births · 1 in 456 boysINOhio: #81 for boys · 149 births · 1 in 514 boysOHPennsylvania: #62 for boys · 199 births · 1 in 360 boysPANew Jersey: #81 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 543 boysNJConnecticut: #85 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 509 boysCTCalifornia: #67 for boys · 499 births · 1 in 305 boysCAUtah: #90 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 466 boysUTColorado: #69 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 352 boysCONebraska: #51 for boys · 55 births · 1 in 195 boysNEMissouri: #100 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 609 boysMOKentucky: #136 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 963 boysKYWest Virginia: #156 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,184 boysWVVirginia: #90 for boys · 60 births · 1 in 514 boysVAMaryland: #159 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 986 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedDEArizona: #107 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 529 boysAZNew Mexico: #91 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 382 boysNMKansas: #74 for boys · 42 births · 1 in 350 boysKSArkansas: #142 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 784 boysARTennessee: #99 for boys · 56 births · 1 in 538 boysTNNorth Carolina: #90 for boys · 73 births · 1 in 501 boysNCSouth Carolina: #125 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 619 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #144 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 697 boysDCOklahoma: #90 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 397 boysOKLouisiana: #130 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 580 boysLAMississippi: #110 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 507 boysMSAlabama: #86 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 398 boysALGeorgia: #90 for boys · 79 births · 1 in 461 boysGAHawaii: #74 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 318 boysHITexas: #75 for boys · 337 births · 1 in 318 boysTXFlorida: #92 for boys · 94 births · 1 in 510 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Wisconsin#48 · 1 in 209
  2. Washington#49 · 1 in 211
  3. Nebraska#51 · 1 in 195
  4. Iowa#52 · 1 in 198
  5. Minnesota#52 · 1 in 202

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Wisconsin#481481 in 209
Washington#491101 in 211
Nebraska#51551 in 195
Iowa#52991 in 198
Minnesota#521331 in 202
Oregon#59611 in 258
Vermont#61101 in 270
New Hampshire#62171 in 289
Pennsylvania#621991 in 360
South Dakota#62191 in 249
Michigan#661711 in 362
California#674991 in 305
Maine#68191 in 345
Massachusetts#68861 in 385
Rhode Island#68151 in 325
Colorado#69531 in 352
Illinois#712061 in 380
North Dakota#72151 in 317
Hawaii#74191 in 318
Kansas#74421 in 350
Texas#753371 in 318
Indiana#79861 in 456
New Jersey#81761 in 543
Ohio#811491 in 514
Connecticut#85321 in 509
Alabama#86641 in 398
Idaho#89161 in 424
Montana#89131 in 384
Georgia#90791 in 461
New York#901981 in 569
North Carolina#90731 in 501
Oklahoma#90471 in 397
Utah#90311 in 466
Virginia#90601 in 514
Wyoming#9061 in 412
New Mexico#91231 in 382
Florida#92941 in 510
Nevada#9681 in 420
Tennessee#99561 in 538
Missouri#100541 in 609
Arizona#107331 in 529
Mississippi#110361 in 507
Alaska#12051 in 562
South Carolina#125321 in 619
Louisiana#130521 in 580
Kentucky#136271 in 963
Arkansas#142191 in 784
District of Columbia#144111 in 697
West Virginia#156111 in 1,184
Maryland#159211 in 986
Delaware———

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 1975

girls
#2,097
41 births · 1 in 35,558 girls
boys
#74
3,729 births · 1 in 419 boys

Top girls' names in 1975

  1. #1Jennifer58,190
  2. #2Amy32,254
  3. #3Heather24,301
  4. #4Melissa24,168
  5. #5Angela23,361
  6. #6Michelle22,665
  7. #7Kimberly20,257
  8. #8Lisa18,139
  9. #9Stephanie15,775
  10. #10Nicole14,275
  11. #2,097Joel41

Top boys' names in 1975

  1. #1Michael68,418
  2. #2Jason52,159
  3. #3Christopher46,575
  4. #4James39,569
  5. #5David39,156
  6. #6Robert35,306
  7. #7John35,079
  8. #8Brian30,578
  9. #9Matthew28,527
  10. #10William25,561
  11. #74Joel3,729
More about 1975

girls

1,457,861 girls got a published name in 1975; 1 in 35,558 of them was named Joel, which outranked 80.3% of the 10,618 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joel
  1. #2,060Tessie42
  2. #2,060Tonie42
  3. #2,060Yulonda42
  4. #2,097Joel41
  5. #2,097Ashlie41
  6. #2,097Barbi41
  7. #2,097Bethanie41
  8. #2,136Africa40
  9. #2,136Alba40
  10. #2,136Altovise40

Tied with 38 names at #2,097; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1974
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,732Pepper#2,683 → #951
  2. ↑ 1,666Mandie#2,396 → #730
  3. ↑ 1,140Tiana#1,772 → #632
  4. ↑ 779Lacy#1,486 → #707
  5. ↑ 719Lacey#1,284 → #565
Fallers
  1. ↓ 447Nia#672 → #1,119
  2. ↓ 429Alethea#716 → #1,145
  3. ↓ 404Cicely#608 → #1,012
  4. ↓ 307Elaina#994 → #1,301
  5. ↓ 303Cristin#938 → #1,241

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

boys

1,561,357 boys got a published name in 1975; 1 in 419 of them was named Joel, which outranked 98.8% of the 6,337 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 25.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joel
  1. #71Corey3,876
  2. #72Phillip3,853
  3. #73Carlos3,793
  4. #74Joel3,729
  5. #75Jacob3,618
  6. #76Rodney3,583
  7. #77Antonio3,489
Biggest movers since 1974
Risers
  1. ↑ 722Benjiman#1,692 → #970
  2. ↑ 702Marques#1,520 → #818
  3. ↑ 645Glendon#1,409 → #764
  4. ↑ 502Benji#1,124 → #622
  5. ↑ 471Regan#1,409 → #938
Fallers
  1. ↓ 905Toma#882 → #1,787
  2. ↓ 830Vashon#923 → #1,753
  3. ↓ 352Bruno#993 → #1,345
  4. ↓ 327Hollis#953 → #1,280
  5. ↓ 303Domenico#977 → #1,280

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

See the top 100 for 1975 →