How to say it
JO · el
ˈdʒoʊ.əl
Masculine
Joel
Yahweh is God
What it means
Hebrew Yoʾel, from Yah ('Yahweh') + ʾēl ('God'). One of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament; his book is famous for the locust-plague imagery and the prophecy 'I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh' (quoted in Acts 2).
Joel comes from the Hebrew Yoʾel (Yah 'Yahweh' + ʾēl 'God'). The prophet Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible; his short book (just three chapters) describes a devastating locust plague and pivots to the prophecy of God pouring out his spirit on all flesh, quoted in Peter's Pentecost sermon in Acts 2 as the founding text of the early church. The English Joel has been steady through the centuries and surged in the 1960s and 1970s; it's now in the US top 200. Billy Joel the singer-songwriter is the strongest English-language anchor (Joel as surname). The Last of Us's Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) gave it a 2020s reboot.
How to spell Joel
The standard spelling is Joel. Common variants include Yoel, Joël, but Joel is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #65 in 1981, currently #219 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed August 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
JOH-el, two syllables, the E is a separate vowel sound. Not 'joll' (one syllable).
Who's worn it
- Joel (Bible) Old Testament minor prophet, the locust-plague book and 'I will pour out my spirit' prophecy
- Billy Joel American singer-songwriter, Piano Man and Vienna (Joel as surname)
- Joel Miller (The Last of Us) Pedro Pascal's character in the HBO series
Spelling variants
- Yoel
- Joël
Names with the same feeling
See Joel from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Joel mean?
- Hebrew Yoʾel, from Yah ('Yahweh') + ʾēl ('God'). One of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament; his book is famous for the locust-plague imagery and the prophecy 'I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh' (quoted in Acts 2).
- What does Joel mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, Joel means "Yahweh is God." Joel comes from the Hebrew Yoʾel (Yah 'Yahweh' + ʾēl 'God'). The prophet Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible; his short book (just three chapters) describes a devastating locust plague and pivots to the prophecy of God pouring out his spirit on all flesh, quoted in Peter's Pentecost sermon in Acts 2 as the founding text of the early church. The English Joel has been steady through the centuries and surged in the 1960s and 1970s; it's now in the US top 200. Billy Joel the singer-songwriter is the strongest English-language anchor (Joel as surname). The Last of Us's Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) gave it a 2020s reboot.
- How do you pronounce Joel?
- Joel is pronounced ˈdʒoʊ.əl. Say it as JO-el, with the stress on the "jo" syllable.
- How do you spell Joel?
- The standard spelling is Joel. Common spelling variants include Yoel, Joël.
- Is Joel a boy or girl name?
- Joel is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Joel?
- Joel ranked #219 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.