Joan
Joan was the 987th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 232 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 619th; the most babies were born in 2025 (232). Over the last ten years it has moved up 140 places. More babies were named Joan in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of John; 'YHWH is gracious' · English, Hebrew
Say it JOHN /dʒoʊn/
- Rank in 2025
- #987 boys, up 148 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 232boys
- Girls and boys
- 46% girls, 54% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025232 babies
- Total since 1880
- 488,939babies recorded
What does the name Joan mean?
Joan is a contracted English form of Joanna (through Old French Jehanne), the feminine of John, from Hebrew Yoḥanan 'YHWH is gracious', as DMNES and Wiktionary note. It was one of the most common English women's names of the late Middle Ages; Joan of Arc, the 15th-century French saint, is its most famous bearer. In Catalan, Joan is the men's form of John.
יוֹחָנָן (Yoḥanan) (Biblical Hebrew, “YHWH is gracious”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Joanna, Jane, Jean, Joanne, Juana.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joan', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Joan', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Joan
The usual nicknames for Joan are Joanie and Jo.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joanie | Traditional | — | — |
| Jo · also for Josephine, Josie, Joanna | Traditional | #9,273 | 28 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Joans go by each one.
Joan popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,087 | #987 | 222 | 232 |
| 2020 | #1,547 | #1,135 | 137 | 172 |
| 2010 | #2,853 | #1,198 | 61 | 150 |
| 2000 | #1,221 | #912 | 163 | 170 |
| 1990 | #763 | #1,742 | 271 | 46 |
| 1980 | #491 | #2,670 | 422 | 18 |
| 1970 | #240 | #2,444 | 1,308 | 15 |
| 1960 | #80 | #1,538 | 5,881 | 28 |
| 1950 | #40 | #1,378 | 8,860 | 28 |
| 1940 | #14 | #785 | 13,292 | 63 |
| 1930 | #8 | #780 | 15,478 | 68 |
| 1920 | #143 | #2,094 | 1,647 | 16 |
| 1910 | #277 | — | 196 | — |
| 1900 | #443 | — | 57 | — |
| 1890 | #628 | — | 18 | — |
| 1880 | #508 | — | 12 | — |
How popular is Joan, counting every spelling?
Joan has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #948 for boys in 2025, against #987 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Joan?
232 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Joan (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Joan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 36 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Joan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Joan?
About 6,200 people born in the US named Joan are alive today, with a median age of 18; half are between 9 and 27. That makes Joan mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Joan by state
How common Joan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.1×), Texas (2.1×), New Jersey (1.6×). In 32 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Joan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Joan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Joan · Sibling names for Joan
Questions about the name Joan
What does Joan mean?
Joan means “feminine of John; 'YHWH is gracious'” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Joan?
Joan was the 987th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 232 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 619th; the most babies were born in 2025 (232). Over the last ten years it has moved up 140 places. More babies were named Joan in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Joan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 46% girls, 54% boys given the name Joan in the US.
Where is Joan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Joan was most common in Arizona (0.25 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and New Jersey.