Total births
140,694
Girls' name · since 1885
Joy
Since 1885, U.S. Social Security records show 140,694 babies named Joy, peaking in 1957. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #441
- among girls today
- 140,694
- born since 1885
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
140,694 babies have been named Joy since 1885, making it today's #441 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Joy has been recorded 140,694 times among girls since 1885, currently ranked #441 nationally and more common than 98% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #441 among girls today
- 140,694 born since 1885
- 1950s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Joy is currently the #441 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 140,694 born since 1885, peaking in the 1950s.
- #441
- among girls today
- 140,694
- born since 1885
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Joy vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#441
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Joy was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
2,929 babies were named Joy in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Joy compares
140,694 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Joy's all-time total is 368x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Joy | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 140,694 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,929 | 48 | 19,840 |
Joy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Joy's SSA record in two at 1955 and the more recent half accounts for 65% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 35%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1886, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1957 peak of 2,929, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Joy at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1957
Current rank
#441
Active since
1885
Joy popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 2,929
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Joy popularity over time - boys
2,630 total births recorded since 1883 (Joy as boys' name)
Joy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Joy's strongest decade.
24,518 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Joy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 52
1880s
52 births
- 1890s 186
1890s
186 births
- 1900s 364
1900s
364 births
- 1910s 1,742
1910s
1,742 births
- 1920s 7,353
1920s
7,353 births
- 1930s
1930s
13,185 births
- 1940s
1940s
15,564 births
- 1950s
1950s
24,518 births
- 1960s
1960s
21,756 births
- 1970s
1970s
20,119 births
- 1980s
1980s
11,680 births
- 1990s 6,183
1990s
6,183 births
- 2000s 5,933
2000s
5,933 births
- 2010s 7,667
2010s
7,667 births
- 2020s 4,392
2020s
4,392 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 24,518 births (17% of all-time use).
How Joy 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 Joy's total volume
Joy vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Joy by state
Where Joy concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 11,933 | 8.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 10,126 | 7.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 8,793 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 7,261 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 7,088 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 6,857 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 5,454 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Florida | | 4,723 | 3.4% |
California share of Joy's total US births 8.5%
Even split
11,933 of 140,694 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Joy appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Joy? ▼
Since 1885, Social Security records show 140,694 babies named Joy. Today it holds rank #441 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1957, with 2,929 births.
When was Joy most popular? ▼
Joy was most popular in the 1950s decade with 24,518 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Joy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Joy are California (11,933 births), Texas (10,126 births), New York (8,793 births).
How long has the name Joy been used? ▼
Records for Joy go back to 1885, giving 141 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Joy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Joyce, Joycelyn, Joye, Joya, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Joy's data
- Joy's decade-level peak was the 1950s (24,518 total births); usage has since declined to 4,392 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Joys (11,933 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Joy
Nearby Names Like Joy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Joy
Joyce Girl
#1041 509,332 births
Joycelyn Girl
#8013 6,622 births
Joye Girl
3,473 births
Joya Girl
#6975 1,796 births
Joyanna Girl
#12402 772 births
Compare Joy side by side: Joy vs Joyce Joy vs Joycelyn Joy vs Joye
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Joy
Madeleine #440
45,722 births · Peak 1998
Kaliyah #442
12,946 births · Peak 2025
Katalina #439
8,727 births · Peak 2025
Bonnie #443
328,675 births · Peak 1947
Alicia #438
230,790 births · Peak 1984
Sarai #444
22,919 births · Peak 2007
Melany #437
17,379 births · Peak 2025
Haisley #445
5,433 births · Peak 2020
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, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Joy: #441 Girls' Name - 140,694 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/joy. 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 Joy 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.