Joel Boy

Popularity: #211 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JO-el //ˈdʒoʊ.əl//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: Jehovah is God; English: to be or to become

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Joel has its roots in the Hebrew language, derived from the name יוֹאֵל (Yo'el), which translates to "Yahweh is God." This etymology reflects a common practice in ancient Hebrew names, where the divine name is incorporated to express faith or devotion. The name appears in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Joel, one of the twelve minor prophets, which dates back to the 9th century BCE.

The text addresses themes of repentance and divine judgment, contributing to the name's religious significance. Historically, Joel has been borne by various notable figures, including biblical characters and saints.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Joel is recognized for his prophetic visions and calls for national repentance, particularly in response to a locust plague. The name was later adopted by early Christians, leading to its use in various forms across different cultures.

The Latin Vulgate, a significant translation of the Bible completed in the late 4th century CE, rendered the name as "Joelus," which further influenced its adoption in medieval Europe. Throughout the centuries, Joel has maintained a strong cultural resonance, particularly within Judeo-Christian traditions.

The name is often associated with themes of prophecy, divine communication, and spiritual awakening. In Christian contexts, it has been linked to the idea of renewal and hope, as reflected in the New Testament's references to the prophecies of Joel.

Additionally, diminutive forms such as Jo or Joely have emerged in various cultures, although these are less prominent in historical texts. The endurance of the name Joel can be attributed to its deep religious roots and the enduring legacy of the biblical prophet.

Its continued use in various cultures underscores its significance as a symbol of faith and divine connection, making it a name with profound historical and cultural implications.

Famous people named Joel

In this section, you will find notable people named Joel. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Joel who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Joel who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Joel McHale is an actor and comedian best known for Community, The Soup, and The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale.

Joel Edgerton is an actor and filmmaker best known for Warrior, The Great Gatsby, and Boy Erased.

Joel Osteen is a pastor and author best known for his books Your Best Life Now, Become a Better You, and The Power of I Am.

Joel Silver is a film producer best known for producing The Matrix, Die Hard, and Lethal Weapon franchises.

Joel Kinnaman is an actor best known for The Killing, RoboCop, and Altered Carbon.

Joel Grey is an actor and dancer best known for Cabaret, Chicago, and The Wizard of Oz.

Fictional characters named Joel

The following list of fictional characters named Joel is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Joel is a fictional character from the video game series The Last of Us. He is a hardened survivor who becomes a father figure to Ellie during their perilous journey through a post-apocalyptic world.

Joel Miller is a fictional character from the video game The Last of Us. He is a smuggler tasked with escorting a young girl across a dangerous, infected landscape, facing moral dilemmas along the way.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Joel, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JacobJamesJohnJoshuaJaredJesse

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Joel. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

JaredJonahJosiahJulianJordanJasperJaceJett

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Joel was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Joel has ranked as high as #131 nationally, which occurred in 1985, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Joel has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Joel is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Joel was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Joel.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,639 1,633 6
2024 1,646 1,638 8
2023 1,753 1,745 8
2022 1,780 1,780 0
2021 1,804 1,797 7
2020 1,843 1,843 0
2019 2,101 2,095 6
2018 2,140 2,132 8
2017 2,271 2,265 6
2016 2,437 2,427 10
2015 2,607 2,602 5
2014 2,683 2,672 11
2013 2,727 2,727 0
2012 2,780 2,780 0
2011 3,069 3,056 13
2010 3,074 3,065 9
2009 3,569 3,564 5
2008 3,753 3,744 9
2007 3,433 3,423 10
2006 3,469 3,455 14
2005 3,288 3,275 13
2004 3,249 3,237 12
2003 3,256 3,245 11
2002 3,206 3,191 15
2001 3,182 3,167 15
2000 3,395 3,380 15
1999 3,202 3,185 17
1998 3,187 3,172 15
1997 3,008 2,989 19
1996 3,027 3,004 23
1995 3,125 3,100 25
1994 3,392 3,368 24
1993 3,586 3,557 29
1992 3,691 3,667 24
1991 3,801 3,762 39
1990 4,037 4,000 37
1989 3,963 3,939 24
1988 3,982 3,940 42
1987 4,173 4,138 35
1986 4,556 4,507 49
1985 4,661 4,623 38
1984 4,568 4,524 44
1983 4,394 4,345 49
1982 4,485 4,446 39
1981 4,587 4,540 47
1980 4,611 4,564 47
1979 4,256 4,216 40
1978 3,853 3,810 43
1977 3,871 3,824 47
1976 3,756 3,722 34
1975 3,770 3,729 41
1974 3,543 3,491 52
1973 3,597 3,570 27
1972 3,570 3,528 42
1971 3,546 3,499 47
1970 3,882 3,839 43
1969 3,756 3,681 75
1968 3,752 3,683 69
1967 3,549 3,476 73
1966 3,335 3,232 103
1965 2,897 2,860 37
1964 3,157 3,135 22
1963 3,256 3,237 19
1962 3,318 3,298 20
1961 3,543 3,518 25
1960 3,735 3,712 23
1959 3,473 3,458 15
1958 3,254 3,224 30
1957 3,630 3,604 26
1956 3,459 3,436 23
1955 2,830 2,806 24
1954 2,626 2,596 30
1953 2,324 2,302 22
1952 2,254 2,228 26
1951 2,176 2,162 14
1950 2,071 2,043 28
1949 2,000 1,987 13
1948 2,051 2,026 25
1947 2,174 2,144 30
1946 2,024 1,999 25
1945 1,621 1,597 24
1944 1,736 1,714 22
1943 1,774 1,745 29
1942 1,620 1,595 25
1941 1,356 1,339 17
1940 1,302 1,278 24
1939 1,319 1,295 24
1938 1,282 1,262 20
1937 1,141 1,116 25
1936 1,092 1,060 32
1935 949 919 30
1934 837 815 22
1933 679 666 13
1932 638 624 14
1931 487 477 10
1930 471 455 16
1929 434 420 14
1928 426 415 11
1927 403 392 11
1926 389 379 10
1925 395 379 16
1924 390 377 13
1923 360 348 12
1922 380 368 12
1921 407 395 12
1920 346 346 0
1919 367 358 9
1918 357 348 9
1917 314 308 6
1916 289 282 7
1915 278 272 6
1914 200 200 0
1913 167 167 0
1912 134 129 5
1911 59 59 0
1910 55 55 0
1909 50 50 0
1908 45 45 0
1907 54 54 0
1906 49 49 0
1905 48 48 0
1904 43 43 0
1903 32 32 0
1902 38 38 0
1901 34 34 0
1900 35 35 0
1899 37 37 0
1898 48 48 0
1897 31 31 0
1896 37 37 0
1895 37 37 0
1894 44 44 0
1893 52 52 0
1892 39 39 0
1891 31 31 0
1890 37 37 0
1889 37 37 0
1888 48 48 0
1887 48 48 0
1886 49 49 0
1885 56 56 0
1884 56 56 0
1883 51 51 0
1882 54 54 0
1881 57 57 0
1880 41 41 0

Top States for Joel (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 265
16%
CA 229
14%
NY 106
7%
FL 85
5%
OH 65
4%
NC 59
4%
GA 57
4%
IL 47
3%
PA 43
3%
AZ 41
3%
NJ 40
2%
VA 37
2%
MD 36
2%
IN 36
2%
CO 30
2%
WA 29
2%
TN 25
2%
SC 24
1%
MN 24
1%
MO 24
1%
MI 22
1%
WI 22
1%
CT 20
1%
LA 20
1%
KS 19
1%
KY 19
1%
IA 17
1%
NM 16
1%
AL 16
1%
OK 16
1%
MA 16
1%
UT 14
1%
OR 14
1%
NV 13
1%
MS 10
1%
NE 10
1%
AR 8
0%
SD 7
0%
WV 6
0%
ID 6
0%
NH 6
0%
AK 5
0%
ND 5
0%
RI 5
0%