Joan
Girl name · #1087 in 2025 · Rare
Joan ranks #1087 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 222 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1996, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,108 girls born in 2025 was named Joan.
The 145-year story
Joan first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 12 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1932, when 21,044 girls were named Joan — good for #5 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Joan per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Joan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Joan in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Joan is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Joan will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Joan is most common
Geography matters for names, and Joan is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Joan is most common in WA (0.3 per 1,000), MI (0.3 per 1,000), OH (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Joan is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Joan
Statistically, parents drawn to Joan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jean, Joyce, Susan, Betty, and Judy.
JeanJoyceSusanBettyJudyLoisSharonMarian
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Joan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 222 | #1085 |
| 2024 | 188 | #1240 |
| 2023 | 165 | #1361 |
| 2022 | 161 | #1412 |
| 2021 | 158 | #1384 |
| 2020 | 137 | #1545 |
| 2019 | 134 | #1585 |
| 2018 | 118 | #1741 |
| 2017 | 128 | #1677 |
| 2016 | 112 | #1841 |
| 2015 | 99 | #1996 |
| 2014 | 75 | #2412 |
| 2013 | 72 | #2484 |
| 2012 | 79 | #2356 |
| 2011 | 63 | #2763 |
| 2010 | 61 | #2841 |
| 2009 | 70 | #2614 |
| 2008 | 68 | #2690 |
| 2007 | 67 | #2710 |
| 2006 | 80 | #2353 |
| 2005 | 105 | #1849 |
| 2004 | 94 | #1972 |
| 2003 | 104 | #1802 |
| 2002 | 111 | #1654 |
| 2001 | 141 | #1356 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Joan a popular girl name?
Joan ranked #1087 among girls in 2025 with 222 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1996.
When was the name Joan most popular?
Joan peaked in 1932, when 21,044 American girls received the name (ranked #5 that year). Since 1932 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Joan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,108 newborn American girls was named Joan. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.