Joan
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- JONE
- Origin
- Hebrew
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,076 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #984 for boys
Joan is a girls' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God is gracious”. In 2025 it ranked 2,076th for girls in the UK (14 babies) and 984th for boys in the US (232 babies).
What does Joan mean?
Hebrew: medieval English feminine of John
“God is gracious”
Joan of Arc, the French heroine burnt at the stake in 1431, was declared a saint in 1920.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Joan a girl's or a boy's name?
Joan is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 14 girls in the UK and 222 girls and 232 boys in the US.
How popular is Joan in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,076among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 14about 1 in 20,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 23% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 14 girls in the UK were named Joan, making it the 2,076th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,046th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 19 girls.
2025 had fewer girls named Joan than any year since 2020.
Half of all the girls named Joan in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2020. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 2,006th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#90), 1914 (#29), 1924 (#3), 1934 (#4), 1944 (#16) and 1954 (#45).
Joan in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | #2,076 |
| 2024 | 17 | #1,803 |
| 2023 | 17 | #1,798 |
| 2022 | 15 | #1,957 |
| 2021 | 19 | #1,669 |
| 2020 | 14 | #2,046 |
| 2019 | 14 | #2,052 |
| 2018 | 11 | #2,464 |
| 2017 | 12 | #2,336 |
| 2016 | 16 | #1,941 |
| 2015 | 18 | #1,739 |
| 2014 | 12 | #2,320 |
| 2013 | 12 | #2,309 |
| 2012 | 9 | #2,887 |
| 2011 | 17 | #1,755 |
| 2010 | 8 | #2,992 |
| 2009 | 9 | #2,695 |
| 2008 | 11 | #2,286 |
| 2007 | 11 | #2,198 |
| 2006 | 7 | #2,940 |
| 2005 | 11 | #2,061 |
| 2004 | 8 | #2,406 |
| 2003 | 7 | #2,574 |
| 2002 | 9 | #2,040 |
| 2001 | 5 | #2,928 |
| 2000 | 13 | #1,502 |
| 1999 | 9 | #1,921 |
| 1998 | 4 | #3,310 |
| 1997 | 14 | #1,387 |
| 1996 | 7 | #2,201 |
How popular is Joan in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #984among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 232about 1 in 7,400 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 27% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 232 boys in the US were named Joan, making it the 984th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,134th. It first appears in the records in 1903. 222 girls were also named Joan in 2025 (1,085th for girls).
2025 had the most boys named Joan of any year since it first appeared, in 1903.
Half of all the boys named Joan in the US since 1880 were born between 1963 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 1903, 93% of the babies named Joan in the US were girls. By 2025 it was 49%, with more boys than girls since 2000.
Joan in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 232 | #984 |
| 2024 | 220 | #1,013 |
| 2023 | 200 | #1,079 |
| 2022 | 201 | #1,084 |
| 2021 | 185 | #1,112 |
| 2020 | 172 | #1,134 |
| 2019 | 165 | #1,171 |
| 2018 | 178 | #1,101 |
| 2017 | 172 | #1,116 |
| 2016 | 188 | #1,049 |
| 2015 | 170 | #1,124 |
| 2014 | 150 | #1,218 |
| 2013 | 168 | #1,100 |
| 2012 | 140 | #1,258 |
| 2011 | 144 | #1,212 |
| 2010 | 150 | #1,195 |
| 2009 | 178 | #1,059 |
| 2008 | 173 | #1,081 |
| 2007 | 217 | #912 |
| 2006 | 188 | #985 |
| 2005 | 173 | #994 |
| 2004 | 161 | #1,015 |
| 2003 | 139 | #1,102 |
| 2002 | 221 | #780 |
| 2001 | 186 | #862 |
| 2000 | 170 | #909 |
| 1999 | 92 | #1,308 |
| 1998 | 91 | #1,298 |
| 1997 | 113 | #1,113 |
| 1996 | 66 | #1,514 |
| 1995 | 41 | #2,021 |
| 1994 | 43 | #1,922 |
| 1993 | 46 | #1,819 |
| 1992 | 43 | #1,879 |
| 1991 | 38 | #1,977 |
| 1990 | 46 | #1,725 |
| 1989 | 36 | #1,988 |
| 1988 | 37 | #1,810 |
| 1987 | 33 | #1,892 |
| 1986 | 26 | #2,159 |
| 1985 | 23 | #2,292 |
| 1984 | 19 | #2,528 |
| 1983 | 15 | #2,911 |
| 1982 | 23 | #2,206 |
| 1981 | 17 | #2,678 |
| 1980 | 18 | #2,616 |
| 1979 | 14 | #3,017 |
| 1978 | 14 | #2,928 |
| 1977 | 15 | #2,790 |
| 1976 | 13 | #2,945 |
| 1975 | 10 | #3,426 |
| 1974 | 17 | #2,356 |
| 1973 | 11 | #3,011 |
| 1972 | 14 | #2,533 |
| 1971 | 17 | #2,278 |
| 1970 | 15 | #2,398 |
| 1969 | 14 | #2,307 |
| 1968 | 30 | #1,427 |
| 1967 | 15 | #2,029 |
| 1966 | 17 | #1,890 |
| 1965 | 19 | #1,805 |
| 1964 | 30 | #1,434 |
| 1963 | 26 | #1,547 |
| 1962 | 22 | #1,712 |
| 1961 | 20 | #1,822 |
| 1960 | 28 | #1,522 |
| 1959 | 32 | #1,386 |
| 1958 | 20 | #1,765 |
| 1957 | 31 | #1,410 |
| 1956 | 25 | #1,567 |
| 1955 | 32 | #1,338 |
| 1954 | 29 | #1,407 |
| 1953 | 29 | #1,407 |
| 1952 | 25 | #1,516 |
| 1951 | 22 | #1,597 |
| 1950 | 28 | #1,363 |
| 1949 | 39 | #1,127 |
| 1948 | 19 | #1,702 |
| 1947 | 26 | #1,448 |
| 1946 | 29 | #1,298 |
| 1945 | 24 | #1,348 |
| 1944 | 53 | #870 |
| 1943 | 53 | #917 |
| 1942 | 67 | #786 |
| 1941 | 75 | #713 |
| 1940 | 63 | #782 |
| 1939 | 65 | #745 |
| 1938 | 71 | #724 |
| 1937 | 88 | #619 |
| 1936 | 80 | #653 |
| 1935 | 90 | #618 |
| 1934 | 85 | #655 |
| 1933 | 64 | #762 |
| 1932 | 88 | #644 |
| 1931 | 81 | #664 |
| 1930 | 68 | #777 |
| 1929 | 55 | #900 |
| 1928 | 36 | #1,188 |
| 1927 | 33 | #1,267 |
| 1926 | 27 | #1,404 |
| 1925 | 27 | #1,425 |
| 1924 | 15 | #2,132 |
| 1923 | 18 | #1,873 |
| 1922 | 16 | #2,039 |
| 1921 | 11 | #2,631 |
| 1920 | 16 | #2,051 |
| 1919 | 16 | #1,972 |
| 1918 | 9 | #2,881 |
| 1917 | 13 | #2,187 |
| 1916 | 10 | #2,542 |
| 1915 | 7 | #3,081 |
| 1914 | 6 | #2,914 |
| 1913 | 0 | – |
| 1912 | 5 | #2,543 |
| 1911 | 7 | #1,386 |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 5 | #1,129 |
Nicknames for Joan
- Joanie 41 girls in the UK in 2025
Names like Joan
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Nancy Elsie Annie Rose Jean Betsy Betty Evelyn Bonnie Polly Hazel Iris
Names related to Joan
Joni Joanna Joanie Joanne Joana Johana Joann John Jonah Johan Jon Johann
More Hebrew names
Noah Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Joan: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/joan, updated 20 October 2026.