Is Joy a boy or girl name?
Joy is a girl name in the US. In 2024, 702 girls and 20 boys were named Joy, so 97.2% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 98.2% of the 142,535 US babies named Joy were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #4,952
- Girl rank, 2024
- #442
- Babies named Joy since 1883
- 142,535
- Most popular year
- 1957
- 2,945 babies
Boys and girls named Joy, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 | 52 | 91.2% |
| 1890s | 28 | 186 | 86.9% |
| 1900s | 64 | 364 | 85% |
| 1910s | 286 | 1,742 | 85.9% |
| 1920s | 509 | 7,353 | 93.5% |
| 1930s | 409 | 13,185 | 97% |
| 1940s | 233 | 15,565 | 98.5% |
| 1950s | 183 | 24,518 | 99.3% |
| 1960s | 166 | 21,757 | 99.2% |
| 1970s | 155 | 20,119 | 99.2% |
| 1980s | 133 | 11,680 | 98.9% |
| 1990s | 113 | 6,183 | 98.2% |
| 2000s | 93 | 5,933 | 98.5% |
| 2010s | 139 | 7,662 | 98.2% |
| 2020s | 86 | 3,634 | 97.7% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 20 | #4,952 | 702 | #442 |
| 2023 | 15 | #6,064 | 680 | #454 |
| 2022 | 20 | #4,929 | 685 | #463 |
| 2021 | 13 | #6,494 | 779 | #407 |
| 2020 | 18 | #5,135 | 788 | #395 |
| 2019 | 14 | #6,243 | 917 | #344 |
| 2018 | 11 | #7,352 | 902 | #353 |
| 2017 | 17 | #5,401 | 968 | #335 |
| 2016 | 10 | #7,862 | 954 | #352 |
| 2015 | 12 | #6,875 | 734 | #430 |
| 2014 | 23 | #4,323 | 698 | #458 |
| 2013 | 14 | #6,066 | 651 | #471 |
| 2012 | 11 | #7,282 | 622 | #495 |
| 2011 | 10 | #7,777 | 585 | #502 |
| 2010 | 17 | #5,362 | 631 | #478 |
| 2009 | 10 | #7,989 | 587 | #517 |
| 2008 | 8 | #9,412 | 575 | #536 |
| 2007 | 11 | #7,338 | 604 | #520 |
| 2006 | 9 | #8,369 | 608 | #502 |
| 2005 | 9 | #7,973 | 584 | #510 |
| 2004 | 6 | #10,631 | 615 | #480 |
| 2003 | 12 | #6,051 | 583 | #494 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6,789 | 590 | #477 |
| 2001 | 7 | #8,735 | 580 | #480 |
| 2000 | 11 | #6,115 | 607 | #457 |
| 1999 | 9 | #6,804 | 596 | #448 |
| 1998 | 5 | #10,438 | 583 | #442 |
| 1997 | 13 | #4,801 | 580 | #438 |
| 1996 | 13 | #4,741 | 587 | #434 |
| 1995 | 6 | #8,311 | 593 | #434 |
| 1994 | 11 | #5,273 | 589 | #428 |
| 1993 | 14 | #4,349 | 632 | #399 |
| 1992 | 8 | #6,389 | 616 | #410 |
| 1991 | 17 | #3,539 | 710 | #362 |
| 1990 | 17 | #3,527 | 697 | #375 |
| 1989 | 16 | #3,531 | 802 | #317 |
| 1988 | 19 | #2,905 | 837 | #296 |
| 1987 | 12 | #3,850 | 862 | #286 |
| 1986 | 11 | #4,001 | 1,036 | #249 |
| 1985 | 13 | #3,508 | 1,123 | #230 |
| 1984 | 11 | #3,813 | 1,155 | #224 |
| 1983 | 13 | #3,321 | 1,191 | #211 |
| 1982 | 16 | #2,906 | 1,335 | #203 |
| 1981 | 13 | #3,318 | 1,622 | #170 |
| 1980 | 9 | #4,313 | 1,717 | #165 |
| 1979 | 23 | #2,197 | 1,821 | #154 |
| 1978 | 13 | #3,144 | 1,946 | #139 |
| 1977 | 18 | #2,511 | 2,100 | #136 |
| 1976 | 15 | #2,760 | 2,076 | #132 |
| 1975 | 10 | #3,541 | 2,306 | #123 |
| 1974 | 24 | #1,911 | 2,757 | #109 |
| 1973 | 14 | #2,655 | 1,697 | #162 |
| 1972 | 11 | #3,062 | 1,817 | #160 |
| 1971 | 11 | #3,058 | 1,826 | #169 |
| 1970 | 16 | #2,350 | 1,773 | #184 |
| 1969 | 19 | #1,942 | 1,691 | #187 |
| 1968 | 14 | #2,254 | 1,904 | #170 |
| 1967 | 14 | #2,202 | 1,886 | #169 |
| 1966 | 18 | #1,853 | 2,090 | #165 |
| 1965 | 7 | #3,401 | 1,975 | #177 |
| 1964 | 19 | #1,870 | 2,219 | #175 |
| 1963 | 16 | #2,078 | 2,181 | #178 |
| 1962 | 16 | #2,079 | 2,427 | #168 |
| 1961 | 23 | #1,716 | 2,608 | #158 |
| 1960 | 20 | #1,841 | 2,776 | #152 |
| 1959 | 17 | #2,010 | 2,880 | #146 |
| 1958 | 26 | #1,544 | 2,764 | #147 |
| 1957 | 16 | #2,055 | 2,929 | #143 |
| 1956 | 15 | #2,133 | 2,819 | #140 |
| 1955 | 17 | #1,934 | 2,389 | #152 |
| 1954 | 20 | #1,732 | 2,367 | #151 |
| 1953 | 9 | #2,812 | 2,307 | #151 |
| 1952 | 28 | #1,445 | 2,276 | #149 |
| 1951 | 15 | #2,011 | 2,012 | #155 |
| 1950 | 20 | #1,681 | 1,775 | #159 |
| 1949 | 19 | #1,731 | 1,642 | #171 |
| 1948 | 17 | #1,852 | 1,627 | #171 |
| 1947 | 16 | #1,955 | 1,815 | #166 |
| 1946 | 19 | #1,672 | 1,573 | #170 |
| 1945 | 16 | #1,734 | 1,390 | #168 |
| 1944 | 27 | #1,298 | 1,456 | #163 |
| 1943 | 28 | #1,329 | 1,610 | #157 |
| 1942 | 37 | #1,128 | 1,592 | #154 |
| 1941 | 25 | #1,352 | 1,550 | #150 |
| 1940 | 29 | #1,267 | 1,310 | #160 |
| 1939 | 27 | #1,289 | 1,259 | #166 |
| 1938 | 25 | #1,353 | 1,372 | #159 |
| 1937 | 45 | #937 | 1,236 | #162 |
| 1936 | 47 | #901 | 1,483 | #144 |
| 1935 | 42 | #985 | 1,349 | #148 |
| 1934 | 41 | #1,017 | 1,342 | #152 |
| 1933 | 39 | #1,042 | 1,291 | #147 |
| 1932 | 39 | #1,081 | 1,361 | #147 |
| 1931 | 52 | #895 | 1,224 | #152 |
| 1930 | 52 | #934 | 1,268 | #163 |
| 1929 | 44 | #1,034 | 1,138 | #177 |
| 1928 | 47 | #1,014 | 1,091 | #188 |
| 1927 | 63 | #855 | 1,127 | #183 |
| 1926 | 49 | #988 | 892 | #210 |
| 1925 | 61 | #853 | 772 | #236 |
| 1924 | 44 | #1,081 | 578 | #274 |
| 1923 | 40 | #1,132 | 540 | #277 |
| 1922 | 66 | #847 | 447 | #309 |
| 1921 | 47 | #1,023 | 392 | #333 |
| 1920 | 48 | #996 | 376 | #337 |
| 1919 | 58 | #870 | 322 | #358 |
| 1918 | 37 | #1,142 | 303 | #377 |
| 1917 | 41 | #1,025 | 256 | #394 |
| 1916 | 42 | #992 | 214 | #429 |
| 1915 | 35 | #1,096 | 190 | #445 |
| 1914 | 24 | #1,208 | 158 | #429 |
| 1913 | 22 | #1,090 | 120 | #454 |
| 1912 | 10 | #1,684 | 68 | #594 |
| 1911 | 6 | #1,641 | 63 | #523 |
| 1910 | 11 | #1,010 | 48 | #605 |
| 1909 | 6 | #1,375 | 54 | #511 |
| 1908 | 0 | – | 38 | #623 |
| 1907 | 7 | #1,148 | 38 | #607 |
| 1906 | 7 | #1,063 | 40 | #559 |
| 1905 | 6 | #1,169 | 38 | #567 |
| 1904 | 10 | #785 | 36 | #567 |
| 1903 | 9 | #819 | 30 | #600 |
| 1902 | 9 | #827 | 38 | #522 |
| 1901 | 0 | – | 25 | #639 |
| 1900 | 10 | #874 | 27 | #695 |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,133 | 23 | #652 |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,222 | 20 | #762 |
| 1897 | 6 | #1,014 | 30 | #545 |
| 1896 | 6 | #1,050 | 18 | #775 |
| 1895 | 0 | – | 24 | #632 |
| 1894 | 0 | – | 21 | #652 |
| 1893 | 0 | – | 10 | #993 |
| 1892 | 6 | #1,022 | 16 | #747 |
| 1891 | 0 | – | 14 | #738 |
| 1890 | 0 | – | 10 | #904 |
| 1889 | 0 | – | 20 | #584 |
| 1888 | 0 | – | 10 | #867 |
| 1887 | 0 | – | 7 | #989 |
| 1886 | 0 | – | 6 | #1,035 |
| 1885 | 0 | – | 9 | #774 |
| 1884 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 5 | #972 | 0 | – |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Joy reached #785 in 1904. As a girl name, it reached #109 in 1974. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1950s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Joy
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.