The first name Joy
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /d͡ʒɔɪ/ 1 syllable Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
From the noun joy, first used by Puritans in the 17th century.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 73 girls were named Joy, making it the 542nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2024, with 88 births (#467).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Joy with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Joy at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 747 girls born in the United States were named Joy, the 419th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1957, when 2,929 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Joy in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Famous people named Joy
59 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Joy AdamsonAustrian-British naturalist, painter, writer, collector and illustrator (1910–1980)
- Bethany Joy LenzAmerican actress, born 1981
- Da'Vine Joy RandolphAmerican actress, born 1986
- Joy BeharAmerican comedian, television host, actress and writer, born 1942
- Joy HarjoAmerican Poet Laureate, born 1951
- Joy FawcettAmerican soccer player, born 1968
- Joy LaurenAmerican actress, born 1989
- Joy BryantAmerican actress and model, born 1974
- Joy BuolamwiniAmerican computer scientist and digital activist, born 1989
- Joy VillaAmerican singer-songwriter, actress, and YouTuber, born 1986
- Joy BeuneDutch speed skater, born 1999
- Joy ManganoAmerican inventor, born 1956
Questions
- What does the name Joy mean?
- From the noun joy, first used by Puritans in the 17th century.
- How popular is the name Joy?
- In 2025, 73 girls born in England and Wales were named Joy, ranking 542nd. Its peak was 2024, with 88 births.
- Is Joy a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 98% of the 143,324 US babies named Joy since 1880 were girls.
- When was Joy most popular?
- 1957 in the United States, when 2,929 babies were named Joy, its highest rank at 143rd.
- How do you pronounce Joy?
- Joy is /d͡ʒɔɪ/, one syllable.
- Is Joy also a surname?
- Yes. Joy is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.