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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201947peak #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 1947

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedAKMaine: #222 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,667 girlsMEVermont: #134 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 735 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #137 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 817 girlsNHWashington: #124 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 587 girlsWAIdaho: #173 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 862 girlsIDMontana: #151 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 716 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #167 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 990 girlsNDMinnesota: #136 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 868 girlsMNIllinois: #140 for girls · 104 births · 1 in 849 girlsILWisconsin: #140 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 1,063 girlsWIMichigan: #149 for girls · 73 births · 1 in 996 girlsMINew York: #187 for girls · 131 births · 1 in 1,148 girlsNYMassachusetts: #204 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 1,884 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedRIOregon: #104 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 479 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedNVWyoming: #105 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 418 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #138 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 812 girlsSDIowa: #150 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 947 girlsIAIndiana: #128 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 781 girlsINOhio: #144 for girls · 96 births · 1 in 939 girlsOHPennsylvania: #154 for girls · 124 births · 1 in 917 girlsPANew Jersey: #143 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 860 girlsNJConnecticut: #229 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,160 girlsCTCalifornia: #154 for girls · 137 births · 1 in 824 girlsCAUtah: #71 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 298 girlsUTColorado: #175 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 956 girlsCONebraska: #136 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 792 girlsNEMissouri: #144 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 873 girlsMOKentucky: #156 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 931 girlsKYWest Virginia: #186 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,192 girlsWVVirginia: #210 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 1,380 girlsVAMaryland: #182 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,208 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Joy, so not publishedDEArizona: #176 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 761 girlsAZNew Mexico: #278 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,639 girlsNMKansas: #106 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 542 girlsKSArkansas: #159 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 806 girlsARTennessee: #131 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 730 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #218 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 1,310 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #259 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,666 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #128 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 651 girlsDCOklahoma: #120 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 659 girlsOKLouisiana: #134 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 645 girlsLAMississippi: #272 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,706 girlsMSAlabama: #206 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 1,191 girlsALGeorgia: #166 for girls · 53 births · 1 in 824 girlsGAHawaii: #223 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,079 girlsHITexas: #163 for girls · 111 births · 1 in 826 girlsTXFlorida: #151 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 733 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Utah#71 · 1 in 298
  2. Oregon#104 · 1 in 479
  3. Wyoming#105 · 1 in 418
  4. Kansas#106 · 1 in 542
  5. Oklahoma#120 · 1 in 659

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Utah#71291 in 298
Oregon#104321 in 479
Wyoming#10561 in 418
Kansas#106341 in 542
Oklahoma#120351 in 659
Washington#124441 in 587
District of Columbia#128181 in 651
Indiana#128551 in 781
Tennessee#131551 in 730
Louisiana#134511 in 645
Vermont#13451 in 735
Minnesota#136381 in 868
Nebraska#136171 in 792
New Hampshire#13771 in 817
South Dakota#13881 in 812
Illinois#1401041 in 849
Wisconsin#140351 in 1,063
New Jersey#143541 in 860
Missouri#144471 in 873
Ohio#144961 in 939
Michigan#149731 in 996
Iowa#150301 in 947
Florida#151371 in 733
Montana#15181 in 716
California#1541371 in 824
Pennsylvania#1541241 in 917
Kentucky#156391 in 931
Arkansas#159291 in 806
Texas#1631111 in 826
Georgia#166531 in 824
North Dakota#16771 in 990
Idaho#17371 in 862
Colorado#175151 in 956
Arizona#176111 in 761
Maryland#182201 in 1,208
West Virginia#186211 in 1,192
New York#1871311 in 1,148
Massachusetts#204261 in 1,884
Alabama#206331 in 1,191
Virginia#210271 in 1,380
North Carolina#218401 in 1,310
Maine#22261 in 1,667
Hawaii#22351 in 1,079
Connecticut#22991 in 2,160
South Carolina#259171 in 1,666
Mississippi#272171 in 1,706
New Mexico#27851 in 1,639
Alaska———
Delaware———
Nevada———
Rhode Island———

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 1947

girls
#166
1,815 births · 1 in 977 girls
boys
#1,916
16 births · 1 in 114,350 boys

Top girls' names in 1947

  1. #1Linda99,692
  2. #2Mary71,690
  3. #3Patricia51,278
  4. #4Barbara48,800
  5. #5Sandra34,779
  6. #6Carol33,543
  7. #7Nancy32,445
  8. #8Susan31,952
  9. #9Sharon28,533
  10. #10Donna23,517
  11. #166Joy1,815

Top boys' names in 1947

  1. #1James94,767
  2. #2Robert91,655
  3. #3John88,324
  4. #4William67,002
  5. #5Richard58,532
  6. #6David57,810
  7. #7Michael50,506
  8. #8Thomas44,842
  9. #9Charles40,781
  10. #10Larry34,946
  11. #1,916Joy16
More about 1947

girls

1,772,766 girls got a published name in 1947; 1 in 977 of them was named Joy, which outranked 97.3% of the 6,104 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 25.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joy
  1. #163Sheryl1,835
  2. #164Pat1,824
  3. #165Gladys1,819
  4. #166Joy1,815
  5. #167Rosa1,801
  6. #168Eva1,783
  7. #169Vickie1,706
Biggest movers since 1946
Risers
  1. ↑ 417Michaele#1,276 → #859
  2. ↑ 385Carlotta#997 → #612
  3. ↑ 332Ricki#1,290 → #958
  4. ↑ 300Daria#1,220 → #920
  5. ↑ 290Ivy#1,087 → #797
Fallers
  1. ↓ 341Merlene#961 → #1,302
  2. ↓ 285Beatriz#985 → #1,270
  3. ↓ 276Ruthanne#874 → #1,150
  4. ↓ 253Estela#897 → #1,150
  5. ↓ 242Verla#885 → #1,127

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

boys

1,829,599 boys got a published name in 1947; 1 in 114,350 of them was named Joy, which outranked 55.1% of the 4,266 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 34.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joy
  1. #1,850Valentino17
  2. #1,850Wright17
  3. #1,850Ysidro17
  4. #1,916Joy16
  5. #1,916Alexis16
  6. #1,916Ashby16
  7. #1,916Autry16
  8. #1,988Abdul15
  9. #1,988Alvester15
  10. #1,988Alvino15

Tied with 71 names at #1,916; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1946
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,271Brock#2,271 → #1,000
  2. ↑ 586Shawn#1,509 → #923
  3. ↑ 500Jed#1,475 → #975
  4. ↑ 358Jody#935 → #577
  5. ↑ 355Deryl#1,355 → #1,000
Fallers
  1. ↓ 497Hurley#952 → #1,449
  2. ↓ 393Prentice#878 → #1,271
  3. ↓ 362Darvin#935 → #1,297
  4. ↓ 310Lary#826 → #1,136
  5. ↓ 303Judith#856 → #1,159

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

See the top 100 for 1947 →