Joy

#419 for girls in 2025, 747 births · #3,949 for boys in 2025, 27 births
Given to girls 98.2% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1974 · 2,757 births
Debut · girls
9 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
140,694
since 1885

Joy over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Joy has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201922peak #109, 1974girls
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#419747#3,94927
2024#440707#4,89020
2023#450683#5,92715
2022#461688#4,85020
2021#407779#6,33513
2020#395788#5,04118
2019#343918#6,10414
2018#353902#7,13611
2017#335968#5,29717
2016#352954#7,60510
2015#430734#6,67612
2014#457699#4,26323
2013#470653#5,92314
2012#495622#7,05011
2011#502585#7,50210
2010#477632#5,25117
2009#516587#7,69210
2008#535575#9,0198
2007#520604#7,09411
2006#501608#7,9989
2005#510584#7,6409
2004#479615#9,9486
2003#494583#5,87712
2002#476590#6,52210
2001#480580#8,3397
2000#457607#5,92011
1999#448596#6,5309
1998#442583#9,6315
1997#438580#4,66813
1996#434587#4,61313
1995#434593#7,7926
1994#428589#5,10911
1993#399632#4,22714
1992#409616#6,1288
1991#362710#3,46217
1990#375697#3,46717
1989#316802#3,44616
1988#295837#2,86019
1987#286862#3,73112
1986#2491,036#3,88211
1985#2301,123#3,40113
1984#2241,155#3,70111
1983#2111,191#3,23013
1982#2031,335#2,83116
1981#1701,622#3,22113
1980#1651,717#4,1349
1979#1541,821#2,15723
1978#1391,946#3,07013
1977#1362,100#2,45818
1976#1322,076#2,70915
1975#1232,306#3,42810
1974#1092,757#1,88624
1973#1621,697#2,51315
1972#1601,817#2,99111
1971#1691,826#2,97311
1970#1841,773#2,29316
1969#1871,691#1,91419
1968#1701,904#2,20014
1967#1691,885#2,13914
1966#1652,090#1,81418
1965#1771,975#3,2447
1964#1752,219#1,85019
1963#1782,181#2,04416
1962#1692,426#2,03516
1961#1582,609#1,68623
1960#1522,776#1,81220
1959#1462,880#1,97417
1958#1472,764#1,53426
1957#1432,929#2,01916
1956#1402,819#2,09115
1955#1522,389#1,90217
1954#1512,367#1,70620
1953#1512,307#2,7099
1952#1492,276#1,43028
1951#1552,012#1,97215
1950#1591,775#1,65720
1949#1711,642#1,70219
1948#1711,627#1,81717
1947#1661,815#1,91616
1946#1701,573#1,64219
1945#1681,389#1,69716
1944#1631,456#1,28227
1943#1571,610#1,30828
1942#1541,592#1,11937
1941#1501,550#1,33325
1940#1601,310#1,25129
1939#1661,259#1,27227
1938#1591,372#1,33725
1937#1621,236#93245
1936#1441,483#89347
1935#1481,349#98042
1934#1521,342#1,00741
1933#1471,291#1,02839
1932#1471,361#1,07739
1931#1521,224#88752
1930#1631,268#92852
1929#1771,138#1,02644
1928#1881,091#1,00347
1927#1831,127#84963
1926#210892#98049
1925#236772#85161
1924#273578#1,07144
1923#277540#1,12840
1922#309447#84066
1921#332392#1,01847
1920#336376#98748
1919#358322#86758
1918#377303#1,12437
1917#393256#1,01741
1916#429214#98442
1915#445190#1,08235
1914#428158#1,18824
1913#453120#1,07522
1912#59168#1,61910
1911#52263#1,5376
1910#60448#98111
1909#50954#1,2776
1908#61738—
1907#60138#1,0947
1906#55540#1,0047
1905#56438#1,0916
1904#55936#76010
1903#59630#7839
1902#51838#7949
1901#63025—
1900#68827#83610
1899#64423#1,0515
1898#75020#1,1215
1897#53730#9426
1896#75418#9826
1895#62224—
1894#64321—
1893#95510—
1892#72616#9566
1891#72714—
1890#87210—
1889#56720—
1888#83710—
1887#9377—
1886#9936—
1885#7459—
1884——
1883—#8925
1882——
1881——
1880——
First appearance
1885

The first year at least five girls were named Joy! It came in at #745, and was given to 9 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1885–1887, when fewer than 10 girls a year got the name.

Where Joy is popular in 1922

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedNHWashington: #121 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 547 girlsWAIdaho: #156 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 655 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #208 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,545 girlsMNIllinois: #317 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 3,435 girlsILWisconsin: #254 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,461 girlsWIMichigan: #281 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,846 girlsMINew York: #386 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 5,815 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedRIOregon: #188 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,171 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #191 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,086 girlsSDIowa: #209 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,459 girlsIAIndiana: #215 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,756 girlsINOhio: #333 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 4,196 girlsOHPennsylvania: #505 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 11,921 girlsPANew Jersey: #323 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,159 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #224 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,546 girlsCAUtah: #141 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 552 girlsUTColorado: #206 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,146 girlsCONebraska: #161 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 885 girlsNEMissouri: #323 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,780 girlsMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedNMKansas: #182 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 960 girlsKSArkansas: #217 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,149 girlsARTennessee: #251 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,659 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #445 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 5,518 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #154 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 716 girlsOKLouisiana: #239 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,316 girlsLAMississippi: #386 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,227 girlsMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedALGeorgia: #463 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 5,338 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedHITexas: #215 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 966 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Washington#121 · 1 in 547
  2. Utah#141 · 1 in 552
  3. Oklahoma#154 · 1 in 716
  4. Idaho#156 · 1 in 655
  5. Nebraska#161 · 1 in 885

Best ever in a state: #32 in Hawaii, 1977.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Washington#121181 in 547
Utah#14191 in 552
Oklahoma#154351 in 716
Idaho#15661 in 655
Nebraska#161141 in 885
Kansas#182171 in 960
Oregon#18851 in 1,171
South Dakota#19161 in 1,086
Colorado#20681 in 1,146
Minnesota#208151 in 1,545
Iowa#209151 in 1,459
Indiana#215151 in 1,756
Texas#215611 in 966
Arkansas#217181 in 1,149
California#224201 in 1,546
Louisiana#239181 in 1,316
Tennessee#251171 in 1,659
Wisconsin#254101 in 2,461
Michigan#281131 in 2,846
Illinois#317171 in 3,435
Missouri#323111 in 2,780
New Jersey#32361 in 5,159
Ohio#333131 in 4,196
Mississippi#38671 in 3,227
New York#386171 in 5,815
North Carolina#44571 in 5,518
Georgia#46371 in 5,338
Pennsylvania#50581 in 11,921
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Hawaii———
Kentucky———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
Vermont———
Virginia———
West Virginia———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls 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 Joy
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 21 spots since 2024 (#440 → #419)
  • 24 spots since 2020 (#395 → #419)
  • 11 spots since 2015 (#430 → #419)
  • Biggest jump: 312 spots in 1894 (#955 → #643)
  • Biggest drop: 305 spots in 1890 (#567 → #872)
Rise & fade · girls
89 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1885
  • Peaked 1974 at #109 (2,757 births)
  • Births halved by 1982, 8 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 141 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1885–2025
Share of babies · girls
1 in 532
  • Highest: 1 in 532 girls born in 1974 were named Joy (0.19%)
  • Latest: 1 in 2,152 girls born in 2025 (0.05%)
Era · girls
The 1950s
  • 17.4% of all girls named Joy (24,518) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s52#567 (1889)#816
1890s186#537 (1897)#723
1900s364#509 (1909)#584
1910s1,742#358 (1919)#460
1920s7,353#177 (1929)#252
1930s13,185#144 (1936)#154
1940s15,564#150 (1941)#163
1950s24,518#140 (1956)#149
1960s21,756#152 (1960)#170
1970s20,119#109 (1974)#147
1980s11,680#165 (1980)#235
1990s6,183#362 (1991)#417
2000s5,933#457 (2000)#497
2010s7,667#335 (2017)#421
2020s4,392#395 (2020)#429

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

Joy in 1922

girls
#309
447 births · 1 in 2,687 girls
boys
#840
66 births · 1 in 16,487 boys

Top girls' names in 1922

  1. #1Mary72,177
  2. #2Dorothy37,716
  3. #3Helen32,510
  4. #4Margaret26,862
  5. #5Ruth23,633
  6. #6Betty20,895
  7. #7Virginia19,144
  8. #8Mildred16,412
  9. #9Elizabeth15,244
  10. #10Frances15,054
  11. #309Joy447

Top boys' names in 1922

  1. #1John57,280
  2. #2Robert53,796
  3. #3William51,111
  4. #4James49,802
  5. #5Charles28,839
  6. #6George27,350
  7. #7Joseph25,699
  8. #8Edward20,419
  9. #9Richard17,537
  10. #10Frank16,013
  11. #840Joy66
More about 1922

girls

1,201,003 girls got a published name in 1922; 1 in 2,687 of them was named Joy, which outranked 94.7% of the 5,789 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joy
  1. #306Yolanda450
  2. #307Odessa449
  3. #308Josie448
  4. #309Joy447
  5. #310Rosetta445
  6. #311Lenore439
  7. #312Alyce430
Biggest movers since 1921
Risers
  1. ↑ 626Lilia#1,543 → #917
  2. ↑ 573Leatrice#1,258 → #685
  3. ↑ 412Phylis#1,409 → #997
  4. ↑ 352Darleen#1,258 → #906
  5. ↑ 295Madlyn#1,136 → #841
Fallers
  1. ↓ 518Erlene#946 → #1,464
  2. ↓ 390Exie#879 → #1,269
  3. ↓ 327Arlyne#905 → #1,232
  4. ↓ 288Toby#964 → #1,252
  5. ↓ 265Rochelle#987 → #1,252

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

boys

1,088,154 boys got a published name in 1922; 1 in 16,487 of them was named Joy, which outranked 83.1% of the 4,967 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.0% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joy
  1. #830Maxie67
  2. #830Watson67
  3. #830Wm67
  4. #840Joy66
  5. #840Claire66
  6. #840Delton66
  7. #840Desmond66
  8. #850Buel65
  9. #850Furman65
  10. #850Howell65

Tied with 9 names at #840; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1921
Risers
  1. ↑ 520Desmond#1,360 → #840
  2. ↑ 504Gorden#1,226 → #722
  3. ↑ 418Jackie#1,140 → #722
  4. ↑ 417Daryl#843 → #426
  5. ↑ 361Brown#1,360 → #999
Fallers
  1. ↓ 600Adolf#991 → #1,591
  2. ↓ 508Nello#962 → #1,470
  3. ↓ 439Newman#843 → #1,282
  4. ↓ 394Marcos#939 → #1,333
  5. ↓ 343Porfirio#939 → #1,282

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

See the top 100 for 1922 →