Joy
Joy is a girls' name of Latin origin meaning “great happiness and delight.” It ranked #419 in the United States in 2025. From the Old French joie, itself from the Latin gaudium (joy).
how do you pronounce Joy?
JOY
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Joy mean?
The name Joy means “great happiness and delight.” It comes from the Latin language tradition.
From the Old French joie, itself from the Latin gaudium (joy). A Puritan virtue name used since the 17th century, it also gained modern attention through the Pixar film Inside Out (2015), where Joy is the lead emotion character.
where does the name Joy come from?
Wiktionary says Joy comes directly from the common noun joy, first used as a given name by Puritans in the 17th century. Wikipedia adds that it functions as a common unisex given name, with Joyce noted as a common variant.
the history of Joy
Its use dates to Puritan naming practice in the 17th century, per Wiktionary; the retrieved sources don't address its more recent history, including any pop-culture associations.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #419 |
| 2024 | #440 |
| 2023 | #451 |
| 2022 | #462 |
| 2021 | #407 |
| 2020 | #396 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Joy?
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Joy?
- Joy Behar (TV host)
- Joy Division (band)
- Joy (Inside Out character)
what names are similar to Joy?
what names go well with Joy?
Sibling names that share Joy's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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