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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201945peak #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 1945

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedAKMaine: #182 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,118 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedNHWashington: #135 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 708 girlsWAIdaho: #128 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 552 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #144 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 766 girlsNDMinnesota: #149 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,069 girlsMNIllinois: #137 for girls · 72 births · 1 in 854 girlsILWisconsin: #137 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 1,020 girlsWIMichigan: #124 for girls · 70 births · 1 in 712 girlsMINew York: #159 for girls · 112 births · 1 in 967 girlsNYMassachusetts: #199 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,828 girlsMARhode Island: #149 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 949 girlsRIOregon: #95 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 446 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #102 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 461 girlsSDIowa: #128 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 786 girlsIAIndiana: #139 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 869 girlsINOhio: #124 for girls · 76 births · 1 in 786 girlsOHPennsylvania: #161 for girls · 75 births · 1 in 1,042 girlsPANew Jersey: #139 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 878 girlsNJConnecticut: #159 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,085 girlsCTCalifornia: #166 for girls · 88 births · 1 in 949 girlsCAUtah: #102 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 445 girlsUTColorado: #180 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 932 girlsCONebraska: #144 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 903 girlsNEMissouri: #115 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 650 girlsMOKentucky: #146 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 840 girlsKYWest Virginia: #150 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 875 girlsWVVirginia: #224 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,433 girlsVAMaryland: #189 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,167 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedDEArizona: #150 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 607 girlsAZNew Mexico: #166 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 682 girlsNMKansas: #130 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 720 girlsKSArkansas: #139 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 704 girlsARTennessee: #119 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 597 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #230 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 1,560 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #279 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,945 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #128 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 628 girlsDCOklahoma: #109 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 598 girlsOKLouisiana: #139 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 583 girlsLAMississippi: #370 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,330 girlsMSAlabama: #198 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 1,077 girlsALGeorgia: #187 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 982 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedHITexas: #143 for girls · 105 births · 1 in 688 girlsTXFlorida: #167 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 802 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Oregon#95 · 1 in 446
  2. Utah#102 · 1 in 445
  3. South Dakota#102 · 1 in 461
  4. Oklahoma#109 · 1 in 598
  5. Missouri#115 · 1 in 650

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oregon#95221 in 446
South Dakota#102101 in 461
Utah#102141 in 445
Oklahoma#109311 in 598
Missouri#115461 in 650
Tennessee#119501 in 597
Michigan#124701 in 712
Ohio#124761 in 786
District of Columbia#128151 in 628
Idaho#12881 in 552
Iowa#128251 in 786
Kansas#130191 in 720
Washington#135271 in 708
Illinois#137721 in 854
Wisconsin#137261 in 1,020
Arkansas#139261 in 704
Indiana#139341 in 869
Louisiana#139441 in 583
New Jersey#139381 in 878
Texas#1431051 in 688
Nebraska#144111 in 903
North Dakota#14471 in 766
Kentucky#146321 in 840
Minnesota#149221 in 1,069
Rhode Island#14961 in 949
Arizona#150101 in 607
West Virginia#150201 in 875
Connecticut#159131 in 1,085
New York#1591121 in 967
Pennsylvania#161751 in 1,042
California#166881 in 949
New Mexico#16691 in 682
Florida#167281 in 802
Colorado#180111 in 932
Maine#18261 in 1,118
Georgia#187351 in 982
Maryland#189151 in 1,167
Alabama#198291 in 1,077
Massachusetts#199191 in 1,828
Virginia#224201 in 1,433
North Carolina#230261 in 1,560
South Carolina#279121 in 1,945
Mississippi#37071 in 3,330
Alaska———
Delaware———
Hawaii———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
Vermont———
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 1945

girls
#168
1,389 births · 1 in 941 girls
boys
#1,697
16 births · 1 in 84,116 boys

Top girls' names in 1945

  1. #1Mary59,278
  2. #2Linda41,465
  3. #3Barbara38,273
  4. #4Patricia35,844
  5. #5Carol30,389
  6. #6Sandra24,700
  7. #7Nancy21,456
  8. #8Sharon20,838
  9. #9Judith20,192
  10. #10Susan19,222
  11. #168Joy1,389

Top boys' names in 1945

  1. #1James74,464
  2. #2Robert69,947
  3. #3John66,117
  4. #4William50,218
  5. #5Richard46,046
  6. #6David37,110
  7. #7Charles32,469
  8. #8Thomas31,874
  9. #9Michael29,902
  10. #10Ronald23,665
  11. #1,697Joy16
More about 1945

girls

1,307,090 girls got a published name in 1945; 1 in 941 of them was named Joy, which outranked 96.8% of the 5,242 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.8% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joy
  1. #165Bertha1,429
  2. #166Priscilla1,412
  3. #167Lillie1,406
  4. #168Joy1,389
  5. #169Faye1,376
  6. #170Beatrice1,358
  7. #171Teresa1,339
Biggest movers since 1944
Risers
  1. ↑ 799Lauren#1,153 → #354
  2. ↑ 707Amber#1,661 → #954
  3. ↑ 648Laureen#1,315 → #667
  4. ↑ 630Deidre#1,609 → #979
  5. ↑ 623Candice#1,364 → #741
Fallers
  1. ↓ 395Bernardine#937 → #1,332
  2. ↓ 386Joella#988 → #1,374
  3. ↓ 342Venita#937 → #1,279
  4. ↓ 275Magdalene#867 → #1,142
  5. ↓ 249Alpha#964 → #1,213

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

boys

1,345,855 boys got a published name in 1945; 1 in 84,116 of them was named Joy, which outranked 55.1% of the 3,783 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 34.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joy
  1. #1,633Wray17
  2. #1,633Zack17
  3. #1,633Zeb17
  4. #1,697Joy16
  5. #1,697Alphonza16
  6. #1,697Andrea16
  7. #1,697Apolonio16
  8. #1,772Adrain15
  9. #1,772Alexis15
  10. #1,772Almon15

Tied with 74 names at #1,697; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1944
Risers
  1. ↑ 527Delano#1,085 → #558
  2. ↑ 499Dane#1,235 → #736
  3. ↑ 385Eusebio#1,328 → #943
  4. ↑ 371Erick#1,235 → #864
  5. ↑ 311Gerardo#1,282 → #971
Fallers
  1. ↓ 479Joan#870 → #1,349
  2. ↓ 408Kit#841 → #1,249
  3. ↓ 392Llewellyn#935 → #1,327
  4. ↓ 361Valentine#888 → #1,249
  5. ↓ 321Hilario#906 → #1,227

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

See the top 100 for 1945 →