Joel
MeaningYahweh is God · Hebrew
- US rank
- #219
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #65 in 1981
1,633 babies were named Joel in the US in 2025. It has dropped 12 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Joel you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Joel
Joel McHale
American actor and comedian
Choose Joel and your child shares a first name with Joel McHale, an American actor and comedian. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Joel, like who?” Joel McHale's Wikipedia article is available in 49 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Joel McHale on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 1,046 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Joel, 1,633 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Joel would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryJoel has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Joels, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1981, when it ranked #65. Today it's #219, so it could be due a comeback.
- Where it's lovedJoel is most popular in New Mexico, where it ranks #134, followed by Texas (#151) and California (#152). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Hebrew, Joel means “Yahweh is God”.
About the name Joel
Joel is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “Yahweh is God”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with J and ending in “-oel”. US birth records list Joel for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1981, when it ranked #65 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #219, with 1,633 babies.
Origin:Hebrew names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 456 | 2,195 boys |
| 1890s | 344 | 2,906 boys |
| 1900s | 316 | 3,164 boys |
| 1910s | 315 | 3,170 boys |
| 1920s | 347 | 2,885 boys |
| 1930s | 819 | 1,221 boys |
| 1940s | 1,169 | 855 boys |
| 1950s | 1,367 | 731 boys |
| 1960s | 1,768 | 566 boys |
| 1970s | 2,259 | 443 boys |
| 1980s | 2,367 | 423 boys |
| 1990s | 1,732 | 577 boys |
| 2000s | 1,687 | 593 boys |
| 2010s | 1,371 | 730 boys |
| 2020s | 1,007 | 993 boys |
More Hebrew boy names
- Unisex name: Noah · rest, comfort
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: Elijah · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Mateo · gift of God
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Levi · joined, attached
- Unisex name: Elias · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
Questions about the name Joel
What does the name Joel mean?
Joel means “Yahweh is God” in Hebrew.
What is the origin of the name Joel?
Joel has Hebrew roots in our records. Other Hebrew names include Noah, James, Elijah.
Is Joel a boy or girl name?
Joel is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Joel?
Joel ranked #219 for US boys in 2025, given to 1,633 babies. Its best year was 1981 (#65).