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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201923peak #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 1923

  • 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: #139 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 709 girlsWAIdaho: #134 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 547 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #214 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,312 girlsNDMinnesota: #326 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,272 girlsMNIllinois: #238 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 2,117 girlsILWisconsin: #215 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,913 girlsWIMichigan: #221 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,746 girlsMINew York: #334 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 4,529 girlsNYMassachusetts: #391 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 7,291 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #120 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 490 girlsSDIowa: #197 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,336 girlsIAIndiana: #327 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,850 girlsINOhio: #227 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 2,000 girlsOHPennsylvania: #331 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 5,066 girlsPANew Jersey: #380 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,329 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #174 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 975 girlsCAUtah: #122 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 461 girlsUTColorado: #239 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,498 girlsCONebraska: #241 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,753 girlsNEMissouri: #221 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,413 girlsMOKentucky: #352 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,012 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedWVVirginia: #422 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,652 girlsVAMaryland: 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: #295 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,374 girlsKSArkansas: #241 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,362 girlsARTennessee: #231 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,498 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #352 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,570 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #142 for girls · 41 births · 1 in 618 girlsOKLouisiana: #210 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,000 girlsLAMississippi: #390 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,200 girlsMSAlabama: #306 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,398 girlsALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedHITexas: #192 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 882 girlsTXFlorida: #295 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,973 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. South Dakota#120 · 1 in 490
  2. Utah#122 · 1 in 461
  3. Idaho#134 · 1 in 547
  4. Washington#139 · 1 in 709
  5. Oklahoma#142 · 1 in 618

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
South Dakota#120131 in 490
Utah#122111 in 461
Idaho#13471 in 547
Washington#139141 in 709
Oklahoma#142411 in 618
California#174351 in 975
Texas#192661 in 882
Iowa#197161 in 1,336
Louisiana#210231 in 1,000
North Dakota#21451 in 1,312
Wisconsin#215131 in 1,913
Michigan#221221 in 1,746
Missouri#221221 in 1,413
Ohio#227281 in 2,000
Tennessee#231191 in 1,498
Illinois#238281 in 2,117
Colorado#23961 in 1,498
Arkansas#241151 in 1,362
Nebraska#24171 in 1,753
Florida#29561 in 1,973
Kansas#29571 in 2,374
Alabama#306131 in 2,398
Minnesota#32671 in 3,272
Indiana#32771 in 3,850
Pennsylvania#331191 in 5,066
New York#334221 in 4,529
Kentucky#352101 in 3,012
North Carolina#352111 in 3,570
New Jersey#38051 in 6,329
Mississippi#39071 in 3,200
Massachusetts#39151 in 7,291
Virginia#42251 in 5,652
Alaska———
Arizona———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Maine———
Maryland———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
Vermont———
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 1923

girls
#277
540 births · 1 in 2,234 girls
boys
#1,128
40 births · 1 in 27,403 boys

Top girls' names in 1923

  1. #1Mary71,634
  2. #2Dorothy39,043
  3. #3Helen31,486
  4. #4Margaret26,134
  5. #5Betty25,989
  6. #6Ruth23,637
  7. #7Virginia18,325
  8. #8Mildred15,989
  9. #9Elizabeth15,459
  10. #10Frances14,881
  11. #277Joy540

Top boys' names in 1923

  1. #1John57,467
  2. #2Robert56,111
  3. #3William52,136
  4. #4James50,462
  5. #5Charles28,966
  6. #6George27,025
  7. #7Joseph25,561
  8. #8Edward20,597
  9. #9Richard18,887
  10. #10Donald16,433
  11. #1,128Joy40
More about 1923

girls

1,206,366 girls got a published name in 1923; 1 in 2,234 of them was named Joy, which outranked 95.2% of the 5,739 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joy
  1. #274Elvira553
  2. #275Nannie548
  3. #276Mavis546
  4. #277Joy540
  5. #278Frieda538
  6. #279Gracie532
  7. #280Clarice530
Biggest movers since 1922
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,834Eris#2,291 → #457
  2. ↑ 619Penny#1,508 → #889
  3. ↑ 317Laurene#1,309 → #992
  4. ↑ 310Cruz#1,103 → #793
  5. ↑ 306Dorene#1,207 → #901
Fallers
  1. ↓ 321Veva#962 → #1,283
  2. ↓ 318Arlie#949 → #1,267
  3. ↓ 305Gaynell#978 → #1,283
  4. ↓ 303Trinidad#449 → #752
  5. ↓ 300Laurine#897 → #1,197

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

boys

1,096,102 boys got a published name in 1923; 1 in 27,403 of them was named Joy, which outranked 77.0% of the 4,904 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joy
  1. #1,114Mathias41
  2. #1,114Talmage41
  3. #1,114Whitney41
  4. #1,128Joy40
  5. #1,128Attilio40
  6. #1,128Berton40
  7. #1,128Burnice40
  8. #1,140Bernell39
  9. #1,140Finley39
  10. #1,140Fulton39

Tied with 11 names at #1,128; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1922
Risers
  1. ↑ 403Marcos#1,333 → #930
  2. ↑ 341Armin#1,333 → #992
  3. ↑ 309Betty#1,222 → #913
  4. ↑ 309Godfrey#1,222 → #913
  5. ↑ 308Val#1,181 → #873
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,021Harden#999 → #2,020
  2. ↓ 472Buel#850 → #1,322
  3. ↓ 420Trinidad#485 → #905
  4. ↓ 304Gorden#722 → #1,026
  5. ↓ 288Joy#840 → #1,128

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

See the top 100 for 1923 →