Joy
Joy is a boy's name of English origin.
Meaning
Delight, happiness, or great pleasure.
Origin and history
Joy is a virtue and emotion name derived from the Old French 'joie', which originates from the Latin 'gaudia'. While predominantly given to females in the U.S., it has a long history of minor usage for males. Its contemporary usage for boys remains relatively rare.
Popularity in the United States
2,630 babies in the United States have been named Joy since 1880. It ranks #2528 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1814.
States where it is most popular
- TX (28.7 %)
- OK (20.4 %)
- MO (11.6 %)
- NE (9.1 %)
- AR (8 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 5 |
| 1890-1900 | 28 |
| 1900-1910 | 64 |
| 1910-1920 | 286 |
| 1920-1930 | 509 |
| 1930-1940 | 409 |
| 1940-1950 | 233 |
| 1950-1960 | 183 |
| 1960-1970 | 166 |
| 1970-1980 | 156 |
| 1980-1990 | 133 |
| 1990-2000 | 113 |
| 2000-2010 | 93 |
| 2010-2019 | 139 |
| 2020-2029 | 113 |
Famous people named Joy
- Joy Giri: Athlete, Footballer
Fun facts
- The word entered the English language after the Norman Conquest and began seeing sporadic use as a name in the late Middle Ages.
- Though predominantly modernly female, over 2,600 boys in the U.S. have been registered with Joy as their official given name since 1880.