Find out how popular the first name Joy has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Joy by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Joy is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 99% of people named Joy being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 676 female babies and 15 male babies born with the name Joy.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 15 baby boys were named Joy in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Joy

The name Joy is derived from the Middle English word "joye", which itself stems from the Old French "joie" and ultimately from the Latin "gaudium", meaning "gladness" or "delight". It emerged as a given name in the 16th century, likely inspired by the virtue of joy or joyfulness.

Joy has its roots in the Christian tradition, where it is considered one of the seven heavenly virtues and is often associated with the spiritual joy found through faith and devotion. The name may have been used to express the joy felt by parents upon the birth of a child or to represent their wish for the child to lead a joyful life.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Joy can be found in the 17th century. Joy Jeffries (1615-1685) was an English Puritan minister who served as a chaplain during the English Civil War. Another notable figure from this era was Joy Banger (1642-1705), an English writer and translator.

In the 18th century, Joy Lyman (1729-1828) was an American Revolutionary War soldier and one of the last surviving veterans of the conflict. Joy Adamson (1910-1980), a renowned conservationist and author, is best known for her work with lions in Kenya and her book "Born Free".

The 20th century saw the name Joy gain increased popularity. Joy Bright Hancock (1898-1986) was an American composer and pianist, while Joy Davidman (1915-1960) was a writer and poet who became the wife of C.S. Lewis. Joy Mukherjee (1939-2012) was a popular Indian actor who appeared in numerous Bollywood films.

Other notable individuals with the name Joy include Joy Williams (born 1944), an American novelist and short story writer, and Joy Harjo (born 1951), a renowned Native American poet and musician who served as the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2022.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Joy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Joy, please contact us.

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