Joy
#419 for girls in 2025, 747 births · #3,949 for boys in 2025, 27 births
Given to girls 98.2% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1974 · 2,757 births
- Debut · girls
- 9 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 140,694since 1885
Joy over time
Rank among girls' names. Joy has never cracked the top 100 here.
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 | #419 | 747 | #3,949 | 27 |
| 2024 | #440 | 707 | #4,890 | 20 |
| 2023 | #450 | 683 | #5,927 | 15 |
| 2022 | #461 | 688 | #4,850 | 20 |
| 2021 | #407 | 779 | #6,335 | 13 |
| 2020 | #395 | 788 | #5,041 | 18 |
| 2019 | #343 | 918 | #6,104 | 14 |
| 2018 | #353 | 902 | #7,136 | 11 |
| 2017 | #335 | 968 | #5,297 | 17 |
| 2016 | #352 | 954 | #7,605 | 10 |
| 2015 | #430 | 734 | #6,676 | 12 |
| 2014 | #457 | 699 | #4,263 | 23 |
| 2013 | #470 | 653 | #5,923 | 14 |
| 2012 | #495 | 622 | #7,050 | 11 |
| 2011 | #502 | 585 | #7,502 | 10 |
| 2010 | #477 | 632 | #5,251 | 17 |
| 2009 | #516 | 587 | #7,692 | 10 |
| 2008 | #535 | 575 | #9,019 | 8 |
| 2007 | #520 | 604 | #7,094 | 11 |
| 2006 | #501 | 608 | #7,998 | 9 |
| 2005 | #510 | 584 | #7,640 | 9 |
| 2004 | #479 | 615 | #9,948 | 6 |
| 2003 | #494 | 583 | #5,877 | 12 |
| 2002 | #476 | 590 | #6,522 | 10 |
| 2001 | #480 | 580 | #8,339 | 7 |
| 2000 | #457 | 607 | #5,920 | 11 |
| 1999 | #448 | 596 | #6,530 | 9 |
| 1998 | #442 | 583 | #9,631 | 5 |
| 1997 | #438 | 580 | #4,668 | 13 |
| 1996 | #434 | 587 | #4,613 | 13 |
| 1995 | #434 | 593 | #7,792 | 6 |
| 1994 | #428 | 589 | #5,109 | 11 |
| 1993 | #399 | 632 | #4,227 | 14 |
| 1992 | #409 | 616 | #6,128 | 8 |
| 1991 | #362 | 710 | #3,462 | 17 |
| 1990 | #375 | 697 | #3,467 | 17 |
| 1989 | #316 | 802 | #3,446 | 16 |
| 1988 | #295 | 837 | #2,860 | 19 |
| 1987 | #286 | 862 | #3,731 | 12 |
| 1986 | #249 | 1,036 | #3,882 | 11 |
| 1985 | #230 | 1,123 | #3,401 | 13 |
| 1984 | #224 | 1,155 | #3,701 | 11 |
| 1983 | #211 | 1,191 | #3,230 | 13 |
| 1982 | #203 | 1,335 | #2,831 | 16 |
| 1981 | #170 | 1,622 | #3,221 | 13 |
| 1980 | #165 | 1,717 | #4,134 | 9 |
| 1979 | #154 | 1,821 | #2,157 | 23 |
| 1978 | #139 | 1,946 | #3,070 | 13 |
| 1977 | #136 | 2,100 | #2,458 | 18 |
| 1976 | #132 | 2,076 | #2,709 | 15 |
| 1975 | #123 | 2,306 | #3,428 | 10 |
| 1974 | #109 | 2,757 | #1,886 | 24 |
| 1973 | #162 | 1,697 | #2,513 | 15 |
| 1972 | #160 | 1,817 | #2,991 | 11 |
| 1971 | #169 | 1,826 | #2,973 | 11 |
| 1970 | #184 | 1,773 | #2,293 | 16 |
| 1969 | #187 | 1,691 | #1,914 | 19 |
| 1968 | #170 | 1,904 | #2,200 | 14 |
| 1967 | #169 | 1,885 | #2,139 | 14 |
| 1966 | #165 | 2,090 | #1,814 | 18 |
| 1965 | #177 | 1,975 | #3,244 | 7 |
| 1964 | #175 | 2,219 | #1,850 | 19 |
| 1963 | #178 | 2,181 | #2,044 | 16 |
| 1962 | #169 | 2,426 | #2,035 | 16 |
| 1961 | #158 | 2,609 | #1,686 | 23 |
| 1960 | #152 | 2,776 | #1,812 | 20 |
| 1959 | #146 | 2,880 | #1,974 | 17 |
| 1958 | #147 | 2,764 | #1,534 | 26 |
| 1957 | #143 | 2,929 | #2,019 | 16 |
| 1956 | #140 | 2,819 | #2,091 | 15 |
| 1955 | #152 | 2,389 | #1,902 | 17 |
| 1954 | #151 | 2,367 | #1,706 | 20 |
| 1953 | #151 | 2,307 | #2,709 | 9 |
| 1952 | #149 | 2,276 | #1,430 | 28 |
| 1951 | #155 | 2,012 | #1,972 | 15 |
| 1950 | #159 | 1,775 | #1,657 | 20 |
| 1949 | #171 | 1,642 | #1,702 | 19 |
| 1948 | #171 | 1,627 | #1,817 | 17 |
| 1947 | #166 | 1,815 | #1,916 | 16 |
| 1946 | #170 | 1,573 | #1,642 | 19 |
| 1945 | #168 | 1,389 | #1,697 | 16 |
| 1944 | #163 | 1,456 | #1,282 | 27 |
| 1943 | #157 | 1,610 | #1,308 | 28 |
| 1942 | #154 | 1,592 | #1,119 | 37 |
| 1941 | #150 | 1,550 | #1,333 | 25 |
| 1940 | #160 | 1,310 | #1,251 | 29 |
| 1939 | #166 | 1,259 | #1,272 | 27 |
| 1938 | #159 | 1,372 | #1,337 | 25 |
| 1937 | #162 | 1,236 | #932 | 45 |
| 1936 | #144 | 1,483 | #893 | 47 |
| 1935 | #148 | 1,349 | #980 | 42 |
| 1934 | #152 | 1,342 | #1,007 | 41 |
| 1933 | #147 | 1,291 | #1,028 | 39 |
| 1932 | #147 | 1,361 | #1,077 | 39 |
| 1931 | #152 | 1,224 | #887 | 52 |
| 1930 | #163 | 1,268 | #928 | 52 |
| 1929 | #177 | 1,138 | #1,026 | 44 |
| 1928 | #188 | 1,091 | #1,003 | 47 |
| 1927 | #183 | 1,127 | #849 | 63 |
| 1926 | #210 | 892 | #980 | 49 |
| 1925 | #236 | 772 | #851 | 61 |
| 1924 | #273 | 578 | #1,071 | 44 |
| 1923 | #277 | 540 | #1,128 | 40 |
| 1922 | #309 | 447 | #840 | 66 |
| 1921 | #332 | 392 | #1,018 | 47 |
| 1920 | #336 | 376 | #987 | 48 |
| 1919 | #358 | 322 | #867 | 58 |
| 1918 | #377 | 303 | #1,124 | 37 |
| 1917 | #393 | 256 | #1,017 | 41 |
| 1916 | #429 | 214 | #984 | 42 |
| 1915 | #445 | 190 | #1,082 | 35 |
| 1914 | #428 | 158 | #1,188 | 24 |
| 1913 | #453 | 120 | #1,075 | 22 |
| 1912 | #591 | 68 | #1,619 | 10 |
| 1911 | #522 | 63 | #1,537 | 6 |
| 1910 | #604 | 48 | #981 | 11 |
| 1909 | #509 | 54 | #1,277 | 6 |
| 1908 | #617 | 38 | — | |
| 1907 | #601 | 38 | #1,094 | 7 |
| 1906 | #555 | 40 | #1,004 | 7 |
| 1905 | #564 | 38 | #1,091 | 6 |
| 1904 | #559 | 36 | #760 | 10 |
| 1903 | #596 | 30 | #783 | 9 |
| 1902 | #518 | 38 | #794 | 9 |
| 1901 | #630 | 25 | — | |
| 1900 | #688 | 27 | #836 | 10 |
| 1899 | #644 | 23 | #1,051 | 5 |
| 1898 | #750 | 20 | #1,121 | 5 |
| 1897 | #537 | 30 | #942 | 6 |
| 1896 | #754 | 18 | #982 | 6 |
| 1895 | #622 | 24 | — | |
| 1894 | #643 | 21 | — | |
| 1893 | #955 | 10 | — | |
| 1892 | #726 | 16 | #956 | 6 |
| 1891 | #727 | 14 | — | |
| 1890 | #872 | 10 | — | |
| 1889 | #567 | 20 | — | |
| 1888 | #837 | 10 | — | |
| 1887 | #937 | 7 | — | |
| 1886 | #993 | 6 | — | |
| 1885 | #745 | 9 | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | #892 | 5 | |
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
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 1988
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Hawaii#121 · 1 in 498
- Arkansas#170 · 1 in 951
- Georgia#205 · 1 in 1,254
- North Carolina#210 · 1 in 1,322
- Nebraska#211 · 1 in 1,131
Best ever in a state: #32 in Hawaii, 1977.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | #121 | 10 | 1 in 498 |
| Arkansas | #170 | 13 | 1 in 951 |
| Georgia | #205 | 32 | 1 in 1,254 |
| North Carolina | #210 | 29 | 1 in 1,322 |
| Nebraska | #211 | 8 | 1 in 1,131 |
| Florida | #219 | 54 | 1 in 1,350 |
| Kentucky | #220 | 15 | 1 in 1,364 |
| Nevada | #224 | 5 | 1 in 1,132 |
| Illinois | #235 | 51 | 1 in 1,445 |
| Maryland | #238 | 16 | 1 in 1,623 |
| South Carolina | #240 | 14 | 1 in 1,339 |
| District of Columbia | #241 | 6 | 1 in 1,032 |
| Pennsylvania | #243 | 44 | 1 in 1,589 |
| Michigan | #256 | 32 | 1 in 1,795 |
| Tennessee | #263 | 17 | 1 in 1,702 |
| Ohio | #270 | 37 | 1 in 1,855 |
| Alabama | #272 | 13 | 1 in 1,663 |
| Kansas | #272 | 9 | 1 in 1,591 |
| Virginia | #273 | 21 | 1 in 1,708 |
| New York | #280 | 66 | 1 in 1,728 |
| Louisiana | #296 | 16 | 1 in 1,645 |
| Oregon | #296 | 9 | 1 in 1,743 |
| New Jersey | #301 | 22 | 1 in 2,059 |
| Washington | #313 | 15 | 1 in 1,861 |
| Utah | #322 | 8 | 1 in 1,697 |
| Wisconsin | #331 | 12 | 1 in 2,388 |
| Missouri | #333 | 13 | 1 in 2,436 |
| Mississippi | #353 | 7 | 1 in 1,923 |
| Arizona | #359 | 12 | 1 in 2,099 |
| Oklahoma | #360 | 8 | 1 in 2,175 |
| Colorado | #361 | 9 | 1 in 2,318 |
| Massachusetts | #361 | 14 | 1 in 2,659 |
| Minnesota | #362 | 10 | 1 in 2,760 |
| Indiana | #376 | 12 | 1 in 2,827 |
| Texas | #378 | 53 | 1 in 2,421 |
| Iowa | #404 | 5 | 1 in 3,128 |
| California | #416 | 89 | 1 in 2,567 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| 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
- 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)
- Debuted 1885
- Peaked 1974 at #109 (2,757 births)
- Births halved by 1982, 8 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1885–2025
- Highest: 1 in 532 girls born in 1974 were named Joy (0.19%)
- Latest: 1 in 2,152 girls born in 2025 (0.05%)
- 17.4% of all girls named Joy (24,518) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 52 | #567 (1889) | #816 |
| 1890s | 186 | #537 (1897) | #723 |
| 1900s | 364 | #509 (1909) | #584 |
| 1910s | 1,742 | #358 (1919) | #460 |
| 1920s | 7,353 | #177 (1929) | #252 |
| 1930s | 13,185 | #144 (1936) | #154 |
| 1940s | 15,564 | #150 (1941) | #163 |
| 1950s | 24,518 | #140 (1956) | #149 |
| 1960s | 21,756 | #152 (1960) | #170 |
| 1970s | 20,119 | #109 (1974) | #147 |
| 1980s | 11,680 | #165 (1980) | #235 |
| 1990s | 6,183 | #362 (1991) | #417 |
| 2000s | 5,933 | #457 (2000) | #497 |
| 2010s | 7,667 | #335 (2017) | #421 |
| 2020s | 4,392 | #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 1988
Top girls' names in 1988
Top boys' names in 1988
More about 1988
girls
1,780,854 girls got a published name in 1988; 1 in 2,128 of them was named Joy, which outranked 97.9% of the 13,883 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,914,283 boys got a published name in 1988; 1 in 100,752 of them was named Joy, which outranked 66.3% of the 8,495 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
- #2,765Wilford20
- #2,765Zakery20
- #2,765Zebadiah20
- #2,860Joy19
- #2,860Adolphus19
- #2,860Alvis19
- #2,860Angelica19
- #2,961Adarius18
- #2,961Adel18
- #2,961Adison18
Tied with 100 names at #2,860; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.