Joni
Joni was the 1803rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 112 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 204th with 1,576 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,604 places. More babies were named Joni in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Joan · English, Hebrew
Say it JOH-nee /ˈdʒoʊni/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,803 girls, up 427 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 112girls
- Girls and boys
- 89% girls, 11% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19561,576 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,502babies recorded
What does the name Joni mean?
Joni is commonly used as a pet form of Joan, according to Wiktionary, and has been given as a full name. Joan is the medieval English form of the Latin Johanna, the feminine of John, from the Hebrew name meaning "God is gracious". The singer Joni Mitchell (born Roberta Joan Anderson) made it well known. Joni was most popular in the US in the 1950s and 1960s.
Johanna (Latin, “feminine of Johannes (John)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Joan, Joanie, Jonie, Joanna.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Joni', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joan', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Joni (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Joni popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,803 | #6,988 | 112 | 12 |
| 2020 | #2,230 | #6,455 | 81 | 13 |
| 2010 | #4,667 | #10,183 | 31 | 7 |
| 2000 | #2,266 | #6,109 | 69 | 11 |
| 1990 | #1,053 | #6,116 | 170 | 8 |
| 1980 | #319 | #3,506 | 757 | 12 |
| 1970 | #545 | #5,081 | 344 | 5 |
| 1960 | #230 | #3,852 | 1,385 | 6 |
| 1950 | #1,339 | — | 47 | — |
| 1940 | #1,139 | — | 41 | — |
| 1930 | #3,851 | — | 7 | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Joni, counting every spelling?
Joni is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,120 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,803 for Joni on its own. Together these spellings went to 199 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joni | 112 | #1,803 | 465 |
| Joanie | 63 | #2,731 | 239 |
| Jonnie | 16 | #6,969 | 65 |
| Jonni | — | — | 37 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Joni?
112 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Joni (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Joni 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 75 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Joni.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Joni?
About 25,200 people born in the US named Joni are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 46 and 68. That makes Joni a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Joni by state
How common Joni was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 39 states fewer than five girls 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 Joni: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Joni, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Joni · Sibling names for Joni
Questions about the name Joni
What does Joni mean?
Joni means “pet form of Joan” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Joni?
Joni was the 1803rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 112 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 204th with 1,576 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,604 places. More babies were named Joni in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Joni a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 89% girls, 11% boys given the name Joni in the US.
Where is Joni most popular?
In 2021–2025, Joni was most common in Oregon (0.18 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and New York.