Girl nameCurrently #1,013 in the USRising
Joan
JOHN//dʒoʊn//
1 syllablePeak year: 19324 lettersStarts with J
Meaning & origin
God is gracious (feminine of John)
Joan is a traditional feminine form of John, sharing the Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious', and was a hugely popular name across medieval and mid-20th-century England. Its strength is forever tied to the heroic Joan of Arc.
Joan's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Joan |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 12 |
| 1881 | 6 |
| 1882 | 11 |
| 1883 | 6 |
| 1884 | 11 |
| 1885 | 9 |
| 1886 | 16 |
| 1887 | 15 |
| 1888 | 14 |
| 1889 | 21 |
| 1890 | 18 |
| 1891 | 14 |
| 1892 | 32 |
| 1893 | 22 |
| 1894 | 21 |
| 1895 | 28 |
| 1896 | 31 |
| 1897 | 33 |
| 1898 | 40 |
| 1899 | 28 |
| 1900 | 57 |
| 1901 | 52 |
| 1902 | 65 |
| 1903 | 68 |
| 1904 | 73 |
| 1905 | 104 |
| 1906 | 94 |
| 1907 | 109 |
| 1908 | 104 |
| 1909 | 142 |
| 1910 | 196 |
| 1911 | 240 |
| 1912 | 322 |
| 1913 | 411 |
| 1914 | 584 |
| 1915 | 791 |
| 1916 | 833 |
| 1917 | 1,061 |
| 1918 | 1,393 |
| 1919 | 1,263 |
| 1920 | 1,663 |
| 1921 | 1,801 |
| 1922 | 2,026 |
| 1923 | 2,322 |
| 1924 | 3,038 |
| 1925 | 4,057 |
| 1926 | 5,022 |
| 1927 | 6,065 |
| 1928 | 7,890 |
| 1929 | 11,721 |
| 1930 | 15,546 |
| 1931 | 19,200 |
| 1932 | 21,132 |
| 1933 | 19,358 |
| 1934 | 19,550 |
| 1935 | 18,311 |
| 1936 | 17,151 |
| 1937 | 15,389 |
| 1938 | 14,374 |
| 1939 | 14,208 |
| 1940 | 13,355 |
| 1941 | 13,455 |
| 1942 | 14,581 |
| 1943 | 13,285 |
| 1944 | 11,973 |
| 1945 | 10,418 |
| 1946 | 11,248 |
| 1947 | 11,302 |
| 1948 | 9,294 |
| 1949 | 9,245 |
| 1950 | 8,888 |
| 1951 | 9,425 |
| 1952 | 10,302 |
| 1953 | 9,803 |
| 1954 | 9,550 |
| 1955 | 8,589 |
| 1956 | 8,105 |
| 1957 | 7,615 |
| 1958 | 6,806 |
| 1959 | 6,369 |
| 1960 | 5,909 |
| 1961 | 5,570 |
| 1962 | 4,902 |
| 1963 | 4,588 |
| 1964 | 4,179 |
| 1965 | 3,298 |
| 1966 | 2,739 |
| 1967 | 2,319 |
| 1968 | 1,813 |
| 1969 | 1,580 |
| 1970 | 1,323 |
| 1971 | 1,039 |
| 1972 | 743 |
| 1973 | 590 |
| 1974 | 594 |
| 1975 | 560 |
| 1976 | 475 |
| 1977 | 448 |
| 1978 | 433 |
| 1979 | 415 |
| 1980 | 440 |
| 1981 | 420 |
| 1982 | 383 |
| 1983 | 362 |
| 1984 | 346 |
| 1985 | 339 |
| 1986 | 311 |
| 1987 | 313 |
| 1988 | 317 |
| 1989 | 316 |
| 1990 | 317 |
| 1991 | 294 |
| 1992 | 295 |
| 1993 | 260 |
| 1994 | 214 |
| 1995 | 202 |
| 1996 | 201 |
| 1997 | 257 |
| 1998 | 220 |
| 1999 | 217 |
| 2000 | 333 |
| 2001 | 327 |
| 2002 | 332 |
| 2003 | 243 |
| 2004 | 255 |
| 2005 | 278 |
| 2006 | 268 |
| 2007 | 284 |
| 2008 | 241 |
| 2009 | 248 |
| 2010 | 211 |
| 2011 | 207 |
| 2012 | 219 |
| 2013 | 240 |
| 2014 | 225 |
| 2015 | 269 |
| 2016 | 300 |
| 2017 | 300 |
| 2018 | 296 |
| 2019 | 299 |
| 2020 | 309 |
| 2021 | 343 |
| 2022 | 362 |
| 2023 | 365 |
| 2024 | 408 |
Joan through the decades
- Joan peaked in 1932, when 21,132 babies were named Joan in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Joan has risen 34% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Joan currently ranks #1,013 in the US and is on the rise.
Nicknames
Joanie
Variants & spellings
JoannaJean
Famous people named Joan
- Joan of Arc — French military heroine and saint