Joey
Joey was the 877th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 274 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 194th; the most babies were born in 1962 (1,529). Over the last ten years it has moved down 119 places. More babies were named Joey in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Joseph; "he will add" · English, Hebrew
Say it JOH-ee /ˈdʒoʊi/
- Rank in 2025
- #877 boys, up 18 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 274boys
- Girls and boys
- 38% girls, 62% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19621,529 babies
- Total since 1880
- 61,402babies recorded
What does the name Joey mean?
Joey is a pet form of Joe and Joseph (and sometimes of Josephine or Joanna for girls). Joseph is Hebrew Yosef, "he will add" or "may God add". In Genesis 30:24 Rachel names her son Joseph with the wish that God will add another son to her. Joey is used as a name in its own right, mostly for boys, and was most common in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.
יוֹסֵף (Biblical Hebrew, “Yosef, "he will add"”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Joseph, Joe, Josephine, Jo.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Joey', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joseph', DMNES (Durham University)
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 30:24, JPS Tanakh (Gender-Sensitive Edition) via Sefaria, Sefaria
Joey popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,474 | #877 | 146 | 274 |
| 2020 | #1,429 | #895 | 153 | 253 |
| 2010 | #1,969 | #612 | 102 | 405 |
| 2000 | #2,066 | #485 | 80 | 481 |
| 1990 | #2,666 | #352 | 44 | 685 |
| 1980 | #1,100 | #212 | 126 | 1,154 |
| 1970 | #745 | #217 | 198 | 1,137 |
| 1960 | #2,540 | #229 | 23 | 1,206 |
| 1950 | #1,853 | #491 | 27 | 188 |
| 1940 | #4,681 | #768 | 5 | 65 |
| 1930 | #4,887 | #1,515 | 5 | 24 |
| 1920 | — | #4,632 | — | 5 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Joey, counting every spelling?
Joey has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #843 for boys in 2025, against #877 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Joey?
274 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Joey (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Joey 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 31 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Joey.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Joey?
About 46,500 people born in the US named Joey are alive today, with a median age of 47; half are between 31 and 60. That makes Joey mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Joey by state
How common Joey was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.0×). In 27 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 Joey: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Joey, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Joey · Sibling names for Joey
Joey is also a nickname for Joseph and Joe.
Questions about the name Joey
What does Joey mean?
Joey means “pet form of Joseph; "he will add"” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Joey?
Joey was the 877th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 274 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 194th; the most babies were born in 1962 (1,529). Over the last ten years it has moved down 119 places. More babies were named Joey in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Joey a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 38% girls, 62% boys given the name Joey in the US.
Where is Joey most popular?
In 2021–2025, Joey was most common in California (0.30 per 1,000 boys), followed by Ohio and Washington.