Joah
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has been gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 1,155 living Americans carry the first name Joah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Joah today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Joah births was 2023 (79 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Joah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Joah is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 296,757 Americans
Peak year
2023
79 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,101
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Joah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Joah from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 487 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Joah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Joah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Joah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Joahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Texas, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Joah, while New York, North Carolina, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 29 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Joah
The given name Joah has its origins in Hebrew culture, tracing back to ancient biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Yoah, which is a variant spelling of Yoachaz, meaning "Yahweh is strong" or "Yahweh has grasped." The name is comprised of the elements "Yo" (a shortened form of the Hebrew name for God, Yahweh) and "achaz" (meaning "to grasp" or "to seize").
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Joah can be found in the Book of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of a son of Ahaz, a king of Judah who reigned in the 8th century BCE. The name also appears in various ancient Hebrew texts and manuscripts, suggesting its use among ancient Israelites.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Joah. One of the earliest recorded was Joah, a Jewish scholar and philosopher who lived in the 12th century CE in Spain. He was known for his contributions to the study of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism.
Another prominent figure was Joah ben Abraham, a renowned Jewish physician and philosopher who lived in the 13th century CE in Spain. He was recognized for his expertise in medicine and his writings on various subjects, including logic and ethics.
In the 17th century, Joah Byles was an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Cripplegate Church in London. He is best known for his published sermons and religious writings.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Joah Wilkinson was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former Royal Mint building on Tower Hill.
In the early 20th century, Joah Reinach was a French historian and archaeologist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. He authored numerous books and articles on various aspects of classical antiquity.
These examples illustrate the enduring use of the name Joah across different cultures and time periods, reflecting its biblical and historical roots. While not as common as some other names, Joah has maintained a presence throughout history, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
People
Joah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Joah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Joah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Joah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,155 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Joah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 296,757 US residents.
Is Joah a common name?
We classify Joah as "Rare". It ranks above 91% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,167 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Joah most popular?
The single biggest year for Joah was 2023, when 79 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Joah is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Joah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Joah in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.