Joy Girl

Popularity: #386 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: joy //dʒɔɪ//

Origin: English; Latin

Meaning: English: joy; Latin: rejoice

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Joy derives from the Latin word "gaudia," meaning joy or delight, which evolved into the Old French "joie" before entering the English language in the Middle Ages. The transition into English can be traced back to the Norman Conquest of the 11th century, when many Old French terms permeated English vocabulary.

The name Joy, as a given name, began to be used in English-speaking regions around the 13th century, reflecting a broader trend of adopting names that expressed positive emotions and virtues during this period. Historically, the name Joy has been associated with various cultural and religious contexts.

In Christian tradition, joy is a significant theme, often linked to the teachings of Jesus and the concept of spiritual happiness. The term appears in various biblical texts, including the Psalms, where joy is frequently mentioned as a divine gift.

The King James Bible, published in 1611, further popularized the term within the English-speaking world, reinforcing its positive connotations. Throughout the centuries, Joy has been used not only as a name but also as a descriptor for a state of being, reflecting the importance of happiness in human experience.

Culturally, the name Joy has resonated with various artistic and literary works, symbolizing hope and positivity. It has been embraced in literature and music, often representing an ideal state of emotional fulfillment.

The name's simplicity and positive meaning have contributed to its enduring appeal across generations. Additionally, diminutive forms such as Joycie have emerged in some cultures, showcasing the name's adaptability and affectionate usage.

Overall, Joy encapsulates a universal aspiration for happiness and contentment, making it a timeless choice in the realm of names.

Fictional characters named Joy

The following list of fictional characters named Joy 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.

Joy is a fictional character from the animated film Inside Out. She is the personification of happiness and plays a crucial role in guiding the emotions of a young girl named Riley.

Sibling suggestions

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

GraceHopeFaithCharityClarityPatience

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Joy. 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.

JadeJuneJoyceJasmineJolieJunoJadaJoan

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Joy was first seen in the United States in 1883.

Joy has ranked as high as #275 nationally, which occurred in 1957, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Ohio.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Joy 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 Joy 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 Joy.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 774 27 747
2024 727 20 707
2023 698 15 683
2022 708 20 688
2021 792 13 779
2020 806 18 788
2019 932 14 918
2018 913 11 902
2017 985 17 968
2016 964 10 954
2015 746 12 734
2014 722 23 699
2013 667 14 653
2012 633 11 622
2011 595 10 585
2010 649 17 632
2009 597 10 587
2008 583 8 575
2007 615 11 604
2006 617 9 608
2005 593 9 584
2004 621 6 615
2003 595 12 583
2002 600 10 590
2001 587 7 580
2000 618 11 607
1999 605 9 596
1998 588 5 583
1997 593 13 580
1996 600 13 587
1995 599 6 593
1994 600 11 589
1993 646 14 632
1992 624 8 616
1991 727 17 710
1990 714 17 697
1989 818 16 802
1988 856 19 837
1987 874 12 862
1986 1,047 11 1,036
1985 1,136 13 1,123
1984 1,166 11 1,155
1983 1,204 13 1,191
1982 1,351 16 1,335
1981 1,635 13 1,622
1980 1,726 9 1,717
1979 1,844 23 1,821
1978 1,959 13 1,946
1977 2,118 18 2,100
1976 2,091 15 2,076
1975 2,316 10 2,306
1974 2,781 24 2,757
1973 1,712 15 1,697
1972 1,828 11 1,817
1971 1,837 11 1,826
1970 1,789 16 1,773
1969 1,710 19 1,691
1968 1,918 14 1,904
1967 1,899 14 1,885
1966 2,108 18 2,090
1965 1,982 7 1,975
1964 2,238 19 2,219
1963 2,197 16 2,181
1962 2,442 16 2,426
1961 2,632 23 2,609
1960 2,796 20 2,776
1959 2,897 17 2,880
1958 2,790 26 2,764
1957 2,945 16 2,929
1956 2,834 15 2,819
1955 2,406 17 2,389
1954 2,387 20 2,367
1953 2,316 9 2,307
1952 2,304 28 2,276
1951 2,027 15 2,012
1950 1,795 20 1,775
1949 1,661 19 1,642
1948 1,644 17 1,627
1947 1,831 16 1,815
1946 1,592 19 1,573
1945 1,405 16 1,389
1944 1,483 27 1,456
1943 1,638 28 1,610
1942 1,629 37 1,592
1941 1,575 25 1,550
1940 1,339 29 1,310
1939 1,286 27 1,259
1938 1,397 25 1,372
1937 1,281 45 1,236
1936 1,530 47 1,483
1935 1,391 42 1,349
1934 1,383 41 1,342
1933 1,330 39 1,291
1932 1,400 39 1,361
1931 1,276 52 1,224
1930 1,320 52 1,268
1929 1,182 44 1,138
1928 1,138 47 1,091
1927 1,190 63 1,127
1926 941 49 892
1925 833 61 772
1924 622 44 578
1923 580 40 540
1922 513 66 447
1921 439 47 392
1920 424 48 376
1919 380 58 322
1918 340 37 303
1917 297 41 256
1916 256 42 214
1915 225 35 190
1914 182 24 158
1913 142 22 120
1912 78 10 68
1911 69 6 63
1910 59 11 48
1909 60 6 54
1908 38 0 38
1907 45 7 38
1906 47 7 40
1905 44 6 38
1904 46 10 36
1903 39 9 30
1902 47 9 38
1901 25 0 25
1900 37 10 27
1899 28 5 23
1898 25 5 20
1897 36 6 30
1896 24 6 18
1895 24 0 24
1894 21 0 21
1893 10 0 10
1892 22 6 16
1891 14 0 14
1890 10 0 10
1889 20 0 20
1888 10 0 10
1887 7 0 7
1886 6 0 6
1885 9 0 9
1883 5 5 0

Top States for Joy (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 100
15%
CA 70
11%
FL 53
8%
VA 37
6%
NY 35
5%
NJ 24
4%
PA 24
4%
IL 22
3%
NC 21
3%
AZ 20
3%
WA 19
3%
GA 18
3%
MA 17
3%
MD 17
3%
OH 16
2%
IN 16
2%
CO 14
2%
TN 13
2%
WI 13
2%
MO 12
2%
AL 10
2%
MN 10
2%
MI 10
2%
KS 9
1%
SC 9
1%
KY 8
1%
NE 8
1%
CT 7
1%
IA 7
1%
OR 6
1%
LA 5
1%
NV 5
1%
ID 5
1%
OK 5
1%