Total births
481,238
Girls' name · since 1880
Joan
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 481,238 babies named Joan, peaking in 1932. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1240
- among girls today
- 481,238
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Joan currently ranks #1240 among girls' names in America, with 481,238 babies recorded since 1880.
Joan has 481,238 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1240 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of girls, busiest in the 1930s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1240 among girls today
- 481,238 born since 1880
- 1930s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Joan is currently the #1240 girls' name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 481,238 born since 1880, peaking in the 1930s.
- #1240
- among girls today
- 481,238
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Joan vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1240
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
1930s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Joan was born in this single decade.
1932
Single peak year
21,044 babies were named Joan in 1932 - its busiest year on record.
How Joan compares
481,238 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Joan's all-time total is 1,260x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Joan | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 481,238 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 21,044 | 48 | 19,840 |
Joan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Joan's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 22% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 78%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1932 peak of 21,044, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Joan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1932
Current rank
#1,240
Active since
1880
Joan popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1932)
- 21,044
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Joan popularity over time - boys
7,701 total births recorded since 1903 (Joan as boys' name)
Joan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Joan's strongest decade.
173,439 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Joan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 121
1880s
121 births
- 1890s 267
1890s
267 births
- 1900s 863
1900s
863 births
- 1910s 7,021
1910s
7,021 births
- 1920s 45,351
1920s
45,351 births
- 1930s
1930s
173,439 births
- 1940s
1940s
117,708 births
- 1950s
1950s
85,179 births
- 1960s 36,676
1960s
36,676 births
- 1970s 6,480
1970s
6,480 births
- 1980s 3,300
1980s
3,300 births
- 1990s 1,858
1990s
1,858 births
- 2000s 1,003
2000s
1,003 births
- 2010s 941
2010s
941 births
- 2020s 1,031
2020s
1,031 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 173,439 births (36% of all-time use).
How Joan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Joan's total volume
Joan vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Joan by state
Where Joan concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 81,554 | 16.9% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 47,981 | 10.0% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 31,023 | 6.4% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 27,584 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 25,293 | 5.3% |
| #6 | California | | 24,162 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 23,840 | 5.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 22,001 | 4.6% |
New York share of Joan's total US births 16.9%
Even split
81,554 of 481,238 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Joan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Joan? ▼
Joan has been given to 481,238 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1240 as of the latest data. 21,044 babies were born in 1932, its single highest year.
When was Joan most popular? ▼
Joan was most popular in the 1930s decade with 173,439 total births. The single peak year was 1932.
Where is Joan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Joan are New York (81,554 births), Pennsylvania (47,981 births), Illinois (31,023 births).
How long has the name Joan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Joan since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Joan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Joanne, Joann, Joanna, Joana, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Joan's data
- Joan's decade-level peak was the 1930s (173,439 total births); usage has since declined to 1,031 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Joans (81,554 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Joan
Nearby Names Like Joan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Joan
Joanne Girl
#2590 211,970 births
Joann Girl
#3051 156,892 births
Joanna Girl
#329 111,761 births
Joana Girl
#2591 7,944 births
Joanie Girl
#3240 5,549 births
Compare Joan side by side: Joan vs Joanne Joan vs Joann Joan vs Joanna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Joan
Kaylie #1239
22,101 births · Peak 2006
Rue #1241
1,565 births · Peak 2024
Kit #1238
2,316 births · Peak 2025
Bernadette #1242
54,973 births · Peak 1958
Hollis #1237
5,498 births · Peak 2025
Nathalie #1243
20,667 births · Peak 2009
Rya #1236
1,909 births · Peak 2024
Aida #1244
13,777 births · Peak 2005
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Joan: #1240 Girls' Name - 481,238 Births, Peak 1932." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/joan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Joan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.