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
- Peak · boys
- 1981 · 4,540 births
- Debut · boys
- 41 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 26 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 279,655since 1880
Joel over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #13,208 | 6 | #219 | 1,633 |
| 2024 | #11,122 | 8 | #219 | 1,638 |
| 2023 | #11,169 | 8 | #212 | 1,745 |
| 2022 | — | #209 | 1,780 | |
| 2021 | #12,206 | 7 | #211 | 1,797 |
| 2020 | — | #207 | 1,843 | |
| 2019 | #13,799 | 6 | #187 | 2,095 |
| 2018 | #11,427 | 8 | #188 | 2,132 |
| 2017 | #14,124 | 6 | #177 | 2,265 |
| 2016 | #10,113 | 10 | #166 | 2,427 |
| 2015 | #16,419 | 5 | #158 | 2,602 |
| 2014 | #9,517 | 11 | #154 | 2,672 |
| 2013 | — | #144 | 2,727 | |
| 2012 | — | #144 | 2,780 | |
| 2011 | #8,614 | 13 | #132 | 3,056 |
| 2010 | #11,246 | 9 | #132 | 3,065 |
| 2009 | #17,294 | 5 | #116 | 3,564 |
| 2008 | #11,599 | 9 | #113 | 3,744 |
| 2007 | #10,818 | 10 | #123 | 3,423 |
| 2006 | #8,237 | 14 | #123 | 3,455 |
| 2005 | #8,330 | 13 | #123 | 3,275 |
| 2004 | #8,716 | 12 | #124 | 3,237 |
| 2003 | #9,048 | 11 | #124 | 3,245 |
| 2002 | #7,045 | 15 | #122 | 3,191 |
| 2001 | #6,956 | 15 | #126 | 3,167 |
| 2000 | #6,808 | 15 | #112 | 3,380 |
| 1999 | #5,896 | 17 | #115 | 3,185 |
| 1998 | #6,360 | 15 | #117 | 3,172 |
| 1997 | #5,228 | 19 | #126 | 2,989 |
| 1996 | #4,453 | 23 | #124 | 3,004 |
| 1995 | #4,099 | 25 | #120 | 3,100 |
| 1994 | #4,238 | 24 | #108 | 3,368 |
| 1993 | #3,681 | 29 | #101 | 3,557 |
| 1992 | #4,236 | 24 | #100 | 3,667 |
| 1991 | #2,935 | 39 | #100 | 3,762 |
| 1990 | #3,022 | 37 | #94 | 4,000 |
| 1989 | #4,020 | 24 | #88 | 3,939 |
| 1988 | #2,539 | 42 | #85 | 3,940 |
| 1987 | #2,780 | 35 | #75 | 4,138 |
| 1986 | #2,148 | 49 | #72 | 4,507 |
| 1985 | #2,545 | 38 | #67 | 4,623 |
| 1984 | #2,227 | 44 | #66 | 4,524 |
| 1983 | #2,047 | 49 | #67 | 4,345 |
| 1982 | #2,451 | 39 | #69 | 4,446 |
| 1981 | #2,158 | 47 | #65 | 4,540 |
| 1980 | #2,154 | 47 | #67 | 4,564 |
| 1979 | #2,343 | 40 | #71 | 4,216 |
| 1978 | #2,159 | 43 | #74 | 3,810 |
| 1977 | #2,026 | 47 | #73 | 3,824 |
| 1976 | #2,387 | 34 | #72 | 3,722 |
| 1975 | #2,097 | 41 | #74 | 3,729 |
| 1974 | #1,733 | 52 | #75 | 3,491 |
| 1973 | #2,629 | 27 | #73 | 3,570 |
| 1972 | #1,946 | 42 | #78 | 3,528 |
| 1971 | #1,857 | 47 | #86 | 3,499 |
| 1970 | #1,952 | 43 | #82 | 3,839 |
| 1969 | #1,303 | 75 | #80 | 3,681 |
| 1968 | #1,334 | 69 | #80 | 3,683 |
| 1967 | #1,255 | 73 | #90 | 3,476 |
| 1966 | #1,017 | 103 | #102 | 3,232 |
| 1965 | #1,887 | 37 | #114 | 2,860 |
| 1964 | #2,675 | 22 | #110 | 3,135 |
| 1963 | #2,864 | 19 | #110 | 3,237 |
| 1962 | #2,741 | 20 | #113 | 3,298 |
| 1961 | #2,411 | 25 | #110 | 3,518 |
| 1960 | #2,512 | 23 | #110 | 3,712 |
| 1959 | #3,104 | 15 | #116 | 3,458 |
| 1958 | #2,025 | 30 | #120 | 3,224 |
| 1957 | #2,168 | 26 | #104 | 3,604 |
| 1956 | #2,321 | 23 | #106 | 3,436 |
| 1955 | #2,222 | 24 | #121 | 2,806 |
| 1954 | #1,909 | 30 | #127 | 2,596 |
| 1953 | #2,236 | 22 | #134 | 2,302 |
| 1952 | #1,978 | 26 | #132 | 2,228 |
| 1951 | #2,810 | 14 | #129 | 2,162 |
| 1950 | #1,794 | 28 | #130 | 2,043 |
| 1949 | #2,850 | 13 | #138 | 1,987 |
| 1948 | #1,901 | 25 | #137 | 2,026 |
| 1947 | #1,752 | 30 | #133 | 2,144 |
| 1946 | #1,808 | 25 | #127 | 1,999 |
| 1945 | #1,699 | 24 | #134 | 1,597 |
| 1944 | #1,808 | 22 | #125 | 1,714 |
| 1943 | #1,556 | 29 | #128 | 1,745 |
| 1942 | #1,668 | 25 | #134 | 1,595 |
| 1941 | #2,018 | 17 | #142 | 1,339 |
| 1940 | #1,591 | 24 | #140 | 1,278 |
| 1939 | #1,544 | 24 | #135 | 1,295 |
| 1938 | #1,752 | 20 | #134 | 1,262 |
| 1937 | #1,493 | 25 | #139 | 1,116 |
| 1936 | #1,267 | 32 | #146 | 1,060 |
| 1935 | #1,331 | 30 | #157 | 919 |
| 1934 | #1,603 | 22 | #172 | 815 |
| 1933 | #2,275 | 13 | #185 | 666 |
| 1932 | #2,235 | 14 | #206 | 624 |
| 1931 | #2,750 | 10 | #242 | 477 |
| 1930 | #2,110 | 16 | #263 | 455 |
| 1929 | #2,301 | 14 | #272 | 420 |
| 1928 | #2,768 | 11 | #278 | 415 |
| 1927 | #2,859 | 11 | #284 | 392 |
| 1926 | #3,046 | 10 | #291 | 379 |
| 1925 | #2,283 | 16 | #294 | 379 |
| 1924 | #2,661 | 13 | #295 | 377 |
| 1923 | #2,732 | 12 | #303 | 348 |
| 1922 | #2,780 | 12 | #294 | 368 |
| 1921 | #2,762 | 12 | #281 | 395 |
| 1920 | — | #308 | 346 | |
| 1919 | #3,219 | 9 | #280 | 358 |
| 1918 | #3,244 | 9 | #294 | 348 |
| 1917 | #4,083 | 6 | #300 | 308 |
| 1916 | #3,552 | 7 | #309 | 282 |
| 1915 | #3,795 | 6 | #311 | 272 |
| 1914 | — | #321 | 200 | |
| 1913 | — | #307 | 167 | |
| 1912 | #2,979 | 5 | #332 | 129 |
| 1911 | — | #357 | 59 | |
| 1910 | — | #332 | 55 | |
| 1909 | — | #325 | 50 | |
| 1908 | — | #335 | 45 | |
| 1907 | — | #286 | 54 | |
| 1906 | — | #286 | 49 | |
| 1905 | — | #284 | 48 | |
| 1904 | — | #294 | 43 | |
| 1903 | — | #340 | 32 | |
| 1902 | — | #312 | 38 | |
| 1901 | — | #302 | 34 | |
| 1900 | — | #375 | 35 | |
| 1899 | — | #286 | 37 | |
| 1898 | — | #255 | 48 | |
| 1897 | — | #331 | 31 | |
| 1896 | — | #306 | 37 | |
| 1895 | — | #295 | 37 | |
| 1894 | — | #261 | 44 | |
| 1893 | — | #239 | 52 | |
| 1892 | — | #292 | 39 | |
| 1891 | — | #297 | 31 | |
| 1890 | — | #282 | 37 | |
| 1889 | — | #274 | 37 | |
| 1888 | — | #252 | 48 | |
| 1887 | — | #227 | 48 | |
| 1886 | — | #243 | 49 | |
| 1885 | — | #213 | 56 | |
| 1884 | — | #221 | 56 | |
| 1883 | — | #212 | 51 | |
| 1882 | — | #222 | 54 | |
| 1881 | — | #197 | 57 | |
| 1880 | — | #262 | 41 | |
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 1981
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- New York#45 · 1 in 215
- Iowa#55 · 1 in 232
- Minnesota#55 · 1 in 245
- Oregon#56 · 1 in 236
- Washington#58 · 1 in 256
Best ever in a state: #36 in South Dakota, 1969.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | #45 | 529 | 1 in 215 |
| Iowa | #55 | 94 | 1 in 232 |
| Minnesota | #55 | 134 | 1 in 245 |
| Oregon | #56 | 85 | 1 in 236 |
| Washington | #58 | 124 | 1 in 256 |
| Wisconsin | #59 | 120 | 1 in 289 |
| Alaska | #61 | 16 | 1 in 251 |
| Maine | #62 | 25 | 1 in 281 |
| North Dakota | #63 | 23 | 1 in 256 |
| Michigan | #64 | 207 | 1 in 317 |
| Nebraska | #64 | 45 | 1 in 274 |
| Indiana | #65 | 122 | 1 in 329 |
| Illinois | #67 | 228 | 1 in 371 |
| Pennsylvania | #68 | 218 | 1 in 355 |
| Idaho | #69 | 26 | 1 in 314 |
| Rhode Island | #69 | 15 | 1 in 381 |
| Texas | #69 | 418 | 1 in 330 |
| New Hampshire | #71 | 18 | 1 in 341 |
| California | #72 | 580 | 1 in 346 |
| Connecticut | #73 | 41 | 1 in 435 |
| Hawaii | #74 | 19 | 1 in 359 |
| Massachusetts | #74 | 79 | 1 in 453 |
| Colorado | #75 | 65 | 1 in 367 |
| Florida | #76 | 152 | 1 in 414 |
| South Dakota | #76 | 16 | 1 in 339 |
| Wyoming | #77 | 13 | 1 in 309 |
| Kansas | #78 | 48 | 1 in 378 |
| Arizona | #79 | 59 | 1 in 393 |
| Vermont | #81 | 9 | 1 in 356 |
| Ohio | #82 | 165 | 1 in 489 |
| New Jersey | #84 | 77 | 1 in 551 |
| Montana | #86 | 15 | 1 in 387 |
| New Mexico | #87 | 29 | 1 in 385 |
| Georgia | #91 | 80 | 1 in 503 |
| Missouri | #91 | 75 | 1 in 488 |
| Oklahoma | #92 | 51 | 1 in 462 |
| South Carolina | #92 | 46 | 1 in 459 |
| Mississippi | #94 | 44 | 1 in 437 |
| Nevada | #94 | 11 | 1 in 515 |
| Virginia | #96 | 60 | 1 in 576 |
| North Carolina | #100 | 68 | 1 in 556 |
| Maryland | #107 | 37 | 1 in 654 |
| Kentucky | #110 | 37 | 1 in 731 |
| Delaware | #112 | 6 | 1 in 633 |
| Tennessee | #115 | 50 | 1 in 648 |
| Alabama | #123 | 42 | 1 in 627 |
| Utah | #128 | 27 | 1 in 704 |
| West Virginia | #131 | 14 | 1 in 924 |
| District of Columbia | #148 | 11 | 1 in 723 |
| Louisiana | #148 | 52 | 1 in 705 |
| Arkansas | #167 | 15 | 1 in 1,019 |
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
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 497 | #197 (1881) | #232 |
| 1890s | 393 | #239 (1893) | #284 |
| 1900s | 428 | #284 (1905) | #314 |
| 1910s | 2,178 | #280 (1919) | #314 |
| 1920s | 3,819 | #272 (1929) | #290 |
| 1930s | 8,689 | #134 (1938) | #178 |
| 1940s | 17,424 | #125 (1944) | #134 |
| 1950s | 27,859 | #104 (1957) | #122 |
| 1960s | 33,832 | #80 (1968) | #102 |
| 1970s | 37,228 | #71 (1979) | #76 |
| 1980s | 43,566 | #65 (1981) | #72 |
| 1990s | 33,804 | #94 (1990) | #111 |
| 2000s | 33,681 | #112 (2000) | #121 |
| 2010s | 25,821 | #132 (2010) | #158 |
| 2020s | 10,436 | #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 1981
girls
#2,158
47 births · 1 in 35,491 girls
boys
#65
4,540 births · 1 in 395 boys
Top girls' names in 1981
Top boys' names in 1981
More about 1981
girls
1,668,060 girls got a published name in 1981; 1 in 35,491 of them was named Joel, which outranked 82.3% of the 12,198 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Joel
- #2,119Teah48
- #2,119Tequilla48
- #2,119Zulema48
- #2,158Joel47
- #2,158Amparo47
- #2,158Candra47
- #2,158Carletta47
- #2,195Adriene46
- #2,195Alfreda46
- #2,195Ammie46
Tied with 36 names at #2,158; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Biggest movers since 1980
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,791,177 boys got a published name in 1981; 1 in 395 of them was named Joel, which outranked 99.1% of the 7,289 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Joel
Biggest movers since 1980
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.