Joan

Meaning: God is gracious
Origin: From Hebrew via Greek and Latin

Nicknames: Joni, Joanie

Girl's name · #1087 in the US (2025) · Comeback

46% girls · 54% boys — Joan is split almost evenly between girls and boys among recent newborns. Joan →

Popularity over time

Joan was #5 in 1931, slipped to #2853 by 2010, and has climbed back to #1087 today. Roughly 481,000 girls have been named Joan since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Joan is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 19 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Joan ranks in other countries and regions.

#541 in Netherlands (2025) · #2,068 in England & Wales (2025) · #2,750 in France (2025) · #2,570 in Canada (2024).

Famous Joans

Joan of Arc — French religious leader (1412–1431)
Joan Baez — American contemporary folk musician (born 1941)
Joan Crawford — American actress (1908–1977)
Joan Rivers — American comedian, actress, and television host (1933–2014)
Joan Fontaine — British actress (1917–2013)

In stories & tradition

Joan Holloway — Mad Men (TV series)
Joan^it — Marvel Comics

What Joans become

Among 4,542 notable people named Joan:

Artists & writers appear 1.61× more often than among typical names — e.g. Joan Collins, English actress, author and columnist.

Spellings & nicknames

About 93 girls a year are given Joni as their full name and 48 Joanie.

Similar names: Joann · Lorraine · Joyce · Billie · Ann · Marian

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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