How to say it
JOY
dʒɔɪ
Feminine
Joy
Joy
What it means
An English virtue name from the word joy, great happiness, by way of the Latin gaudia.
Joy is a virtue name taken straight from the feeling, great gladness, reaching English through the Old French joie and the Latin gaudia. Like Faith and Hope it has Puritan roots, but it has stayed the freshest of them, one bright syllable that needs no explaining. It works beautifully alone or as a middle name. C.S. Lewis's wife Joy Davidman is among its bearers.
How to spell Joy
The standard spelling is Joy. Common variants include Joye, Joi, Joya, but Joy is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #109 in 1974, currently #419 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
A virtue name like Grace and Hope; the emotion itself, named outright.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Joy Harjo first Native American United States Poet Laureate
Spelling variants
- Joye
- Joi
- Joya
Names with the same feeling
See Joy from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Joy mean?
- An English virtue name from the word joy, great happiness, by way of the Latin gaudia.
- What does Joy mean in English?
- In English, Joy means "Joy." Joy is a virtue name taken straight from the feeling, great gladness, reaching English through the Old French joie and the Latin gaudia. Like Faith and Hope it has Puritan roots, but it has stayed the freshest of them, one bright syllable that needs no explaining. It works beautifully alone or as a middle name. C.S. Lewis's wife Joy Davidman is among its bearers.
- How do you pronounce Joy?
- Joy is pronounced dʒɔɪ. Say it as JOY, with the stress on the "joy" syllable.
- How do you spell Joy?
- The standard spelling is Joy. Common spelling variants include Joye, Joi, Joya.
- Is Joy a boy or girl name?
- Joy is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Joy?
- Joy ranked #419 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.