Joia
A feminine name of Portuguese origin meaning "jewel".
Name Census estimates that about 461 living Americans carry the first name Joia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Joia today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Joia births was 1988 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Joia. 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.
People living today
461
~ 1 in 743,502 Americans
Peak year
1988
40 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,541
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Joia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Joia from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 149 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Joia 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 Joia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Joias live
Origin
Meaning and history of Joia
The name Joia has its origins in the Portuguese language, tracing back to the late 15th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "joia," meaning "jewel" or "gem," which itself stems from the Latin word "jocale," meaning "plaything" or "jewel." This name was likely given as a term of endearment, reflecting the preciousness and beauty associated with a child.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Joia can be found in the 16th-century Portuguese literature, where it was occasionally used as a female given name. However, its widespread popularity did not emerge until much later, particularly in Brazil, where it gained traction in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Joia. One such figure was Joia de Oliveira (1885-1964), a Brazilian writer and journalist known for her contributions to the feminist movement in Brazil. Another notable bearer of the name was Joia Mukherjee (1940-2011), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer renowned for her performances and teachings in the Odissi dance form.
In the realm of sports, Joia Pereira (born 1988) is a Brazilian volleyball player who has represented her country in several international competitions, including the Olympic Games. Joia Thome (born 1994) is another Brazilian athlete, a professional tennis player who has achieved notable success on the WTA Tour.
Moreover, the name Joia has also been associated with individuals in the arts and entertainment industry. Joia Arashiro (born 1986) is a Japanese singer and actress, known for her roles in various television dramas and films. Joia Allin (born 1963) is an American actress and model, best recognized for her appearances in several popular television series and movies in the 1980s and 1990s.
While not an exhaustive list, these examples demonstrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who have carried the name Joia throughout history, reflecting the beauty and value associated with this name across cultures and generations.
People
Joia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Joia 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
Joia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Joia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 461 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Joia 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 743,502 US residents.
Is Joia a common name?
We classify Joia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 477 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Joia most popular?
The single biggest year for Joia was 1988, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Joia is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Joia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Joia in the SSA data are female. 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.