Joy
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Joy
Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. However, Joy, like Grace, Hope, and Rose, has crossed more into name-territory than other word choices, which lightens some of that pressure.
Joy began to be used as a name by the seventeenth century Puritans, with the idea of "being joyful in the Lord." It came into more general use in the late nineteenth central, part of the revival of virtue names. Her high point was in 1974, when she reached Number 109 on the popular names charts. Joy has also been often used as a middle name. Two recent bearers: comedian/TV personality Joy Behar and Joy Mangano, the inventor whose life was the basis of Oscar-nominated biopic Joy, starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Joy is also given to boys, where it ranks #3993 in the US.
Pronounced JOY.
As of October 2026, Joy ranked #419 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #109 in 1974, Nameberry popularity #519.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #458 | 698 | #4,323 | 23 |
| 2015 | #430 | 734 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #352 | 954 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #335 | 968 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #353 | 902 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #344 | 917 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #395 | 788 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #407 | 779 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #463 | 685 | #4,929 | 20 |
| 2023 | #454 | 680 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #442 | 702 | #4,952 | 20 |
| 2025 | #419 | 747 | #3,993 | 27 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Joy.
Joy on lists
Famous Joys
- Joy Behar (born Josephina Victoria Occhiuto)Girl
American talk show host
- Joy PhilbinGirl
American TV personality and wife of talk show host Regis Philbin
- Joy Lynn FawcettGirl
American soccer player
- Joy Elizabeth WilliamsGirl
American singer,songwriter of The Civil Wars
- Joy HarjoGirl
American poet
- Joy Adamson (born Friederike Victoria Gessner)Girl
Czech,British author and naturalist
- Joy Lauren (born Lauren Joy Jorgensen)Girl
American actress
- (Marilyn) Joy QuigleyGirl
New Zealand politician
- Joy Ann SmithGirl
Canadian politician
- Joy Charity EnriquezGirl
American singer and actress
- Joy Uche Angela OgwuGirl
Nigerian diplomat
- Joy GiovanniGirl
American actress, model and pro wrestler
- Joy Annabelle WomackGirl
American ballerina
- Joy GarnettGirl
Canadian,American artist
- Joy Rae BrownGirl
birth name of Joi Lansing, American actress
- (Helen) Joy DavidmanGirl
American poet; wife of novelist C.S. Lewis
- Joy BryantGirl
American model and actress
- JoyGirl
stage name of Park Sooyoung; singer, dancer, and member of South Korean girl group Red Velvet
- JoyGirl
Anna Duggar (b. 1997), 9th child (5th daughter) of the reality TV's Duggar family
- JoyGirl
Anna Willis (b. 2006), 10th child (7th daughter) of the family band, The Willis Clan
- Joy Uygur (b. 2012)Girl
daughter of TV personality Cenk Uygur
- Joy (b. 2017)Girl
daughter of model Jessica Michibata
- Joy Mangano (b. 1956) American inventor & entrepreneurGirl
the 2015 film "Joy" was based on her
Joy in pop culture
- Joy MercerGirl
character on TV's "House of Anubis"
- JoyGirl
character in the Wayside School series by Louis Sachar
- Nurse JoyGirl
character from Pokemon video game series
- JoyGirl
character from Disney's "Inside Out"
- Joy BirchGirl
character in 2013 film "Prisoners'
- Joy Ruth KeenanGirl
birth name of Dr. Temperance Brennan, main character on TV series "Bones"
- Rachel Joy CuddyGirl
character on TV's "House, MD"
- Joy "Ma" NewsomeGirl
character in Emma Donohughe's novel/film, "Room"
- "JoyGirl
" 2015 film
- "Joy Luck ClubGirl
" 1993 film
- Joy McNallyGirl
character in the 2008 romantic comedy film "What Happens in Vegas" played by Cameron Diaz
- JOYGirl
acronym that stands for , JESUS first...OTHERS second...YOURSELF last!