Joel Name Popularity

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How popular is Joel?

In 2018 the somewhat popular name Joel, ranked the 187th Most Popular Boys Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 250 most popular, Joel has been a top 500 placer since the Social Security Administration began keeping records in 1880.

Position 65, its highest popularity RANKING, was reached in 1981.

However, the name was bestowed upon the greatest number of babies in 1985 with 4,625 occurrences.

The least amount of newborns dubbed Joel in any given year was 31 in 1897.

Decidely upward trends in the number of babies given the name Joel occurred roughly during the years 1890-1893, 1895-1898, 1901-1905, 1908-1918, 1929-1938, 1939-1947, 1949-1956, and 1976-1980, whereas clearly downward trends happened around 2014-2017.

The popularity trend for Joel has been moving downward for a while. In recent years, continuing the trend, the number of babies given the name Joel has dropped.

What does the future hold for the popularity of Joel?

Overall, when compared to its most prominent year, the name's popularity is at a mid point.

The name Joel is favored by many parents but will probably continue to drift downward in popularity.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

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for Percentages.

		Joel (Girl)		Joel (Boy)
Year	%	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank
2018		8	11,828	2,119	187
2017		6	14,874	2,255	177
2016		10	10,414	2,419	166
2015		5	17,649	2,598	158
2014		11	9,810	2,664	154
2013		< 5	--	2,722	144
2012		< 5	--	2,776	144
2011		13	8,853	3,053	132
2010		9	11,692	3,061	132
2009		5	18,579	3,561	115
2008		9	12,032	3,741	113
2007		10	11,179	3,419	123
2006		14	8,454	3,454	123
2005		13	8,558	3,271	123
2004		12	8,949	3,233	124
2003		10	9,993	3,244	124
2002		15	7,218	3,187	122
2001		15	7,112	3,166	126
2000		15	6,965	3,378	112
1999		17	6,032	3,184	115
1998		15	6,513	3,170	117
1997		19	5,303	2,990	126
1996		23	4,501	3,004	124
1995		25	4,142	3,100	120
1994		24	4,302	3,366	108
1993		29	3,717	3,557	101
1992		24	4,294	3,662	100
1991		39	2,953	3,760	100
1990		37	3,042	3,999	95
1989		24	4,056	3,939	88
1988		42	2,563	3,935	85
1987		35	2,806	4,135	75
1986		49	2,155	4,507	72
1985		38	2,559	4,625	67
1984		44	2,240	4,523	66
1983		49	2,053	4,347	67
1982		40	2,422	4,442	69
1981		47	2,171	4,541	65
1980		47	2,168	4,567	67
1979		40	2,357	4,215	71
1978		43	2,167	3,810	74
1977		47	2,037	3,824	73
1976		34	2,405	3,725	72
1975		41	2,106	3,732	74
1974		52	1,744	3,493	75
1973		27	2,649	3,569	74
1972		42	1,952	3,531	78
1971		47	1,860	3,499	86
1970		43	1,967	3,843	82
1969		75	1,308	3,682	80
1968		69	1,339	3,683	80
1967		72	1,271	3,478	90
1966		102	1,025	3,229	102
1965		37	1,898	2,860	114
1964		22	2,706	3,138	110
1963		19	2,911	3,235	110
1962		20	2,769	3,303	113
1961		25	2,432	3,513	110
1960		23	2,545	3,708	110
1959		15	3,164	3,461	116
1958		30	2,042	3,219	120
1957		26	2,195	3,601	104
1956		23	2,348	3,436	106
1955		24	2,246	2,801	121
1954		30	1,918	2,594	127
1953		22	2,263	2,302	134
1952		26	1,995	2,230	132
1951		14	2,859	2,161	129
1950		28	1,809	2,045	130
1949		13	2,920	1,987	138
1948		25	1,913	2,025	137
1947		30	1,772	2,144	133
1946		24	1,883	1,999	127
1945		24	1,718	1,597	135
1944		22	1,828	1,714	125
1943		29	1,567	1,745	128
1942		25	1,684	1,595	134
1941		17	2,050	1,338	142
1940		24	1,612	1,278	140
1939		24	1,567	1,296	135
1938		20	1,778	1,260	134
1937		26	1,477	1,116	139
1936		32	1,280	1,060	145
1935		30	1,338	919	157
1934		22	1,627	815	172
1933		13	2,328	666	185
1932		14	2,304	624	206
1931		10	2,874	477	242
1930		16	2,149	455	263
1929		14	2,375	420	272
1928		11	2,873	415	278
1927		11	2,952	392	284
1926		10	3,164	379	291
1925		16	2,330	379	294
1924		13	2,737	377	295
1923		12	2,820	348	303
1922		12	2,873	368	294
1921		12	2,851	395	281
1920		< 5	--	346	308
1919		9	3,325	358	280
1918		9	3,382	348	296
1917		6	4,339	308	301
1916		7	3,725	282	310
1915		6	4,007	272	313
1914		< 5	--	200	322
1913		< 5	--	167	310
1912		5	3,192	129	333
1911		< 5	--	59	359
1910		< 5	--	55	335
1909		< 5	--	50	328
1908		< 5	--	45	339
1907		< 5	--	54	288
1906		< 5	--	49	292
1905		< 5	--	48	289
1904		< 5	--	43	298
1903		< 5	--	32	343
1902		< 5	--	38	314
1901		< 5	--	34	307
1900		< 5	--	35	380
1899		< 5	--	37	286
1898		< 5	--	48	260
1897		< 5	--	31	334
1896		< 5	--	37	307
1895		< 5	--	37	298
1894		< 5	--	44	266
1893		< 5	--	52	240
1892		< 5	--	39	294
1891		< 5	--	31	300
1890		< 5	--	37	287
1889		< 5	--	37	278
1888		< 5	--	48	253
1887		< 5	--	48	229
1886		< 5	--	49	246
1885		< 5	--	56	215
1884		< 5	--	56	221
1883		< 5	--	51	213
1882		< 5	--	54	223
1881		< 5	--	57	198
1880		< 5	--	41	263

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.