Joel

#13,208 for girls in 2025, 6 births · #219 for boys in 2025, 1,633 births
Given to boys 99.1% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1981 · 4,540 births
Debut · boys
41 births
In top 100 · boys
26 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
279,655
since 1880

Joel over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201941peak #65, 1981boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#13,2086#2191,633
2024#11,1228#2191,638
2023#11,1698#2121,745
2022#2091,780
2021#12,2067#2111,797
2020#2071,843
2019#13,7996#1872,095
2018#11,4278#1882,132
2017#14,1246#1772,265
2016#10,11310#1662,427
2015#16,4195#1582,602
2014#9,51711#1542,672
2013#1442,727
2012#1442,780
2011#8,61413#1323,056
2010#11,2469#1323,065
2009#17,2945#1163,564
2008#11,5999#1133,744
2007#10,81810#1233,423
2006#8,23714#1233,455
2005#8,33013#1233,275
2004#8,71612#1243,237
2003#9,04811#1243,245
2002#7,04515#1223,191
2001#6,95615#1263,167
2000#6,80815#1123,380
1999#5,89617#1153,185
1998#6,36015#1173,172
1997#5,22819#1262,989
1996#4,45323#1243,004
1995#4,09925#1203,100
1994#4,23824#1083,368
1993#3,68129#1013,557
1992#4,23624#1003,667
1991#2,93539#1003,762
1990#3,02237#944,000
1989#4,02024#883,939
1988#2,53942#853,940
1987#2,78035#754,138
1986#2,14849#724,507
1985#2,54538#674,623
1984#2,22744#664,524
1983#2,04749#674,345
1982#2,45139#694,446
1981#2,15847#654,540
1980#2,15447#674,564
1979#2,34340#714,216
1978#2,15943#743,810
1977#2,02647#733,824
1976#2,38734#723,722
1975#2,09741#743,729
1974#1,73352#753,491
1973#2,62927#733,570
1972#1,94642#783,528
1971#1,85747#863,499
1970#1,95243#823,839
1969#1,30375#803,681
1968#1,33469#803,683
1967#1,25573#903,476
1966#1,017103#1023,232
1965#1,88737#1142,860
1964#2,67522#1103,135
1963#2,86419#1103,237
1962#2,74120#1133,298
1961#2,41125#1103,518
1960#2,51223#1103,712
1959#3,10415#1163,458
1958#2,02530#1203,224
1957#2,16826#1043,604
1956#2,32123#1063,436
1955#2,22224#1212,806
1954#1,90930#1272,596
1953#2,23622#1342,302
1952#1,97826#1322,228
1951#2,81014#1292,162
1950#1,79428#1302,043
1949#2,85013#1381,987
1948#1,90125#1372,026
1947#1,75230#1332,144
1946#1,80825#1271,999
1945#1,69924#1341,597
1944#1,80822#1251,714
1943#1,55629#1281,745
1942#1,66825#1341,595
1941#2,01817#1421,339
1940#1,59124#1401,278
1939#1,54424#1351,295
1938#1,75220#1341,262
1937#1,49325#1391,116
1936#1,26732#1461,060
1935#1,33130#157919
1934#1,60322#172815
1933#2,27513#185666
1932#2,23514#206624
1931#2,75010#242477
1930#2,11016#263455
1929#2,30114#272420
1928#2,76811#278415
1927#2,85911#284392
1926#3,04610#291379
1925#2,28316#294379
1924#2,66113#295377
1923#2,73212#303348
1922#2,78012#294368
1921#2,76212#281395
1920#308346
1919#3,2199#280358
1918#3,2449#294348
1917#4,0836#300308
1916#3,5527#309282
1915#3,7956#311272
1914#321200
1913#307167
1912#2,9795#332129
1911#35759
1910#33255
1909#32550
1908#33545
1907#28654
1906#28649
1905#28448
1904#29443
1903#34032
1902#31238
1901#30234
1900#37535
1899#28637
1898#25548
1897#33131
1896#30637
1895#29537
1894#26144
1893#23952
1892#29239
1891#29731
1890#28237
1889#27437
1888#25248
1887#22748
1886#24349
1885#21356
1884#22156
1883#21251
1882#22254
1881#19757
1880#26241
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Joel was already there! It came in at #262, and was given to 41 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1889–1892, when fewer than 40 boys a year got the name.

Where Joel is popular in 1941

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedAKMaine: #88 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 454 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedNHWashington: #150 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,058 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedIDMontana: #159 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 952 boysMTNorth Dakota: #117 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 628 boysNDMinnesota: #113 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 686 boysMNIllinois: #146 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 1,083 boysILWisconsin: #136 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 1,104 boysWIMichigan: #151 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 1,312 boysMINew York: #62 for boys · 326 births · 1 in 308 boysNYMassachusetts: #89 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 724 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedSDIowa: #131 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 800 boysIAIndiana: #291 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,300 boysINOhio: #155 for boys · 45 births · 1 in 1,321 boysOHPennsylvania: #117 for boys · 77 births · 1 in 1,052 boysPANew Jersey: #88 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 659 boysNJConnecticut: #89 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 648 boysCTCalifornia: #156 for boys · 55 births · 1 in 1,065 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedUTColorado: #179 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,219 boysCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedNEMissouri: #214 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,824 boysMOKentucky: #206 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,674 boysKYWest Virginia: #288 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 3,310 boysWVVirginia: #206 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,514 boysVAMaryland: #139 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,168 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedDEArizona: #172 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 862 boysAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedNMKansas: #254 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,713 boysKSArkansas: #167 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,041 boysARTennessee: #194 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 1,481 boysTNNorth Carolina: #125 for boys · 55 births · 1 in 704 boysNCSouth Carolina: #166 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 1,034 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #128 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 937 boysDCOklahoma: #180 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,207 boysOKLouisiana: #189 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 1,059 boysLAMississippi: #187 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,301 boysMSAlabama: #118 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 718 boysALGeorgia: #112 for boys · 55 births · 1 in 589 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Joel, so not publishedHITexas: #181 for boys · 72 births · 1 in 924 boysTXFlorida: #140 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 830 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. New York#62 · 1 in 308
  2. Maine#88 · 1 in 454
  3. New Jersey#88 · 1 in 659
  4. Connecticut#89 · 1 in 648
  5. Massachusetts#89 · 1 in 724

Best ever in a state: #36 in South Dakota, 1969.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New York#623261 in 308
Maine#88151 in 454
New Jersey#88461 in 659
Connecticut#89201 in 648
Massachusetts#89461 in 724
Georgia#112551 in 589
Minnesota#113361 in 686
North Dakota#11791 in 628
Pennsylvania#117771 in 1,052
Alabama#118411 in 718
North Carolina#125551 in 704
District of Columbia#12881 in 937
Iowa#131271 in 800
Wisconsin#136241 in 1,104
Maryland#139131 in 1,168
Florida#140201 in 830
Illinois#146591 in 1,083
Washington#150131 in 1,058
Michigan#151381 in 1,312
Ohio#155451 in 1,321
California#156551 in 1,065
Montana#15951 in 952
South Carolina#166211 in 1,034
Arkansas#167191 in 1,041
Arizona#17261 in 862
Colorado#17981 in 1,219
Oklahoma#180181 in 1,207
Texas#181721 in 924
Mississippi#187171 in 1,301
Louisiana#189231 in 1,059
Tennessee#194201 in 1,481
Kentucky#206171 in 1,674
Virginia#206171 in 1,514
Missouri#214171 in 1,824
Kansas#25451 in 2,713
West Virginia#28861 in 3,310
Indiana#29171 in 4,300
Alaska
Delaware
Hawaii
Idaho
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Joel
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • Held #219 since 2024
  • 12 spots since 2020 (#207#219)
  • 61 spots since 2015 (#158#219)
  • Biggest jump: 76 spots in 1898 (#331#255)
  • Biggest drop: 89 spots in 1900 (#286#375)
Rise & fade · boys
101 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1981 at #65 (4,540 births)
  • Births halved by 2017, 36 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 26 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 26 yrs · run 1967–1992
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 391
  • Highest: 1 in 391 boys born in 1980 were named Joel (0.26%)
  • Latest: 1 in 1,046 boys born in 2025 (0.10%)
  • Its best rank, #65 in 1981, was only 1 in 395 (0.25%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1980s
  • 15.6% of all boys named Joel (43,566) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s497#197 (1881)#232
1890s393#239 (1893)#284
1900s428#284 (1905)#314
1910s2,178#280 (1919)#314
1920s3,819#272 (1929)#290
1930s8,689#134 (1938)#178
1940s17,424#125 (1944)#134
1950s27,859#104 (1957)#122
1960s33,832#80 (1968)#102
1970s37,228#71 (1979)#76
1980s43,566#65 (1981)#72
1990s33,804#94 (1990)#111
2000s33,681#112 (2000)#121
2010s25,821#132 (2010)#158
2020s10,436#207 (2020)#213

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Joel in 1941

girls
#2,018
17 births · 1 in 71,066 girls
boys
#142
1,339 births · 1 in 917 boys

Top girls' names in 1941

  1. #1Mary58,048
  2. #2Barbara39,543
  3. #3Patricia36,905
  4. #4Carol24,187
  5. #5Linda23,721
  6. #6Judith23,320
  7. #7Betty20,905
  8. #8Nancy20,885
  9. #9Sandra19,500
  10. #10Shirley16,954
  11. #2,018Joel17

Top boys' names in 1941

  1. #1James66,751
  2. #2Robert64,247
  3. #3John57,520
  4. #4William47,798
  5. #5Richard39,112
  6. #6Charles32,742
  7. #7David30,553
  8. #8Thomas26,641
  9. #9Ronald24,407
  10. #10Donald22,641
  11. #142Joel1,339
More about 1941

girls

1,208,119 girls got a published name in 1941; 1 in 71,066 of them was named Joel, which outranked 60.3% of the 5,085 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.5% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joel
  1. #1,954Theresia18
  2. #1,954Waunita18
  3. #1,954Willadean18
  4. #2,018Joel17
  5. #2,018Ailene17
  6. #2,018Alease17
  7. #2,018Amada17
  8. #2,096Aimee16
  9. #2,096Aloha16
  10. #2,096Annabella16

Tied with 77 names at #2,018; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1940
Risers
  1. 2,130Jerilyn#2,737#607
  2. 1,258Trina#2,109#851
  3. 372Karan#1,347#975
  4. 371Kristine#1,313#942
  5. 356Sherri#1,186#830
Fallers
  1. 447Kenneth#971#1,418
  2. 421Janna#997#1,418
  3. 366Beatriz#989#1,355
  4. 338Merna#997#1,335
  5. 337Eldora#957#1,294

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,228,318 boys got a published name in 1941; 1 in 917 of them was named Joel, which outranked 96.5% of the 4,002 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joel
  1. #139Glen1,410
  2. #140Milton1,385
  3. #141Lynn1,351
  4. #142Joel1,339
  5. #143Dean1,288
  6. #144Roland1,286
  7. #145Tony1,225
Biggest movers since 1940
Risers
  1. 586Gay#1,573#987
  2. 375Issac#1,251#876
  3. 363Otho#1,334#971
  4. 338Lawrance#1,208#870
  5. 313Ford#1,251#938
Fallers
  1. 508Wilkie#792#1,300
  2. 452Arlis#994#1,446
  3. 394Ruby#939#1,333
  4. 359Gonzalo#850#1,209
  5. 325Lenord#929#1,254

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1941