Total births
156,892
Girls' name · since 1891
Joann
156,892 babies named Joann in U.S. Social Security records since 1891, with the highest year being 1942. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3051
- among girls today
- 156,892
- born since 1891
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Joann is the #3051 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 156,892 recorded since 1891.
Social Security Administration records show Joann recorded 156,892 times among girls since 1891, holding rank #3051 nationally today, ahead of 83% of girls, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1891 to 2025.
- #3051 among girls today
- 156,892 born since 1891
- 1940s peak decade
- 83% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Joann is currently the #3051 girls' name in America, more common than 83% of girls - 156,892 born since 1891, peaking in the 1940s.
- #3051
- among girls today
- 156,892
- born since 1891
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Joann vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3051
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 83% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Joann was born in this single decade.
1942
Single peak year
4,506 babies were named Joann in 1942 - its busiest year on record.
How Joann compares
156,892 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Joann's all-time total is 411x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Joann | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 156,892 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,506 | 48 | 19,840 |
Joann's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Joann's full recorded timeline at 1961, 25% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 75% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1893, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1942 peak of 4,506 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Joann at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1942
Current rank
#3,051
Active since
1891
Joann popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1891–2025
- Peak year (1942)
- 4,506
- Annual births at peak, across 135 years of records
Joann popularity over time - boys
564 total births recorded since 1926 (Joann as boys' name)
Joann by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Joann's strongest decade.
40,015 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Joann births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 22
1890s
22 births
- 1900s 102
1900s
102 births
- 1910s 593
1910s
593 births
- 1920s 5,572
1920s
5,572 births
- 1930s
1930s
34,698 births
- 1940s
1940s
40,015 births
- 1950s
1950s
32,677 births
- 1960s
1960s
24,875 births
- 1970s 9,824
1970s
9,824 births
- 1980s 4,277
1980s
4,277 births
- 1990s 2,057
1990s
2,057 births
- 2000s 1,112
2000s
1,112 births
- 2010s 711
2010s
711 births
- 2020s 357
2020s
357 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 40,015 births (26% of all-time use).
How Joann 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 Joann's total volume
Joann vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Joann by state
Where Joann concentrates geographically, total births since 1891
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 17,127 | 10.9% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 12,476 | 8.0% |
| #3 | California | | 9,450 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 8,955 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 8,804 | 5.6% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 8,164 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Texas | | 7,444 | 4.7% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 6,941 | 4.4% |
New York share of Joann's total US births 10.9%
Even split
17,127 of 156,892 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Joann appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Joann? ▼
156,892 babies have been named Joann since 1891. It currently ranks #3051 among girls. The peak year was 1942 with 4,506 births.
When was Joann most popular? ▼
Joann was most popular in the 1940s decade with 40,015 total births. The single peak year was 1942.
Where is Joann most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Joann are New York (17,127 births), Pennsylvania (12,476 births), California (9,450 births).
How long has the name Joann been used? ▼
Joann has been recorded in Social Security data since 1891, spanning 135 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Joann? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Joan, Joanne, Joanna, Joana, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Joann's data
- Joann's decade-level peak was the 1940s (40,015 total births); usage has since declined to 357 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Joanns (17,127 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 Joann
Nearby Names Like Joann
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Joann
Joan Girl
#1240 481,238 births
Joanne Girl
#2590 211,970 births
Joanna Girl
#329 111,761 births
Joana Girl
#2591 7,944 births
Joanie Girl
#3240 5,549 births
Compare Joann side by side: Joann vs Joan Joann vs Joanne Joann vs Joanna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Joann
Rafaela #3050
3,516 births · Peak 2011
Adria #3052
6,506 births · Peak 1979
Beth #3049
159,430 births · Peak 1961
Truly #3053
1,092 births · Peak 2025
Laurie #3048
166,488 births · Peak 1962
Carley #3054
16,918 births · Peak 1998
Mallie #3047
3,462 births · Peak 2022
Randi #3055
29,663 births · Peak 1982
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, 1891–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Joann: #3051 Girls' Name - 156,892 Births, Peak 1942." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/joann. 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 Joann 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.