Joan
Boy name · #985 in 2025 · Rare
Joan is currently the #985 boy name in the United States — 232 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1124, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,759 boys born in 2025 was named Joan.
Babies named Joan per year. Source: SSA.
The 122-year story
Joan first appears in the Social Security records in 1903, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 232 babies and a rank of #984. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
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 boys are born in each state, Joan is most common in TX (0.3 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. 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 Roan, Gian, Jhoan, Tylan, and Arman.
RoanGianJhoanTylanArmanAymanSloanKiran
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Joan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 232 | #984 |
| 2024 | 220 | #1013 |
| 2023 | 200 | #1079 |
| 2022 | 201 | #1084 |
| 2021 | 185 | #1112 |
| 2020 | 172 | #1134 |
| 2019 | 165 | #1171 |
| 2018 | 178 | #1101 |
| 2017 | 172 | #1116 |
| 2016 | 188 | #1049 |
| 2015 | 170 | #1124 |
| 2014 | 150 | #1218 |
| 2013 | 168 | #1100 |
| 2012 | 140 | #1258 |
| 2011 | 144 | #1212 |
| 2010 | 150 | #1195 |
| 2009 | 178 | #1059 |
| 2008 | 173 | #1081 |
| 2007 | 217 | #912 |
| 2006 | 188 | #985 |
| 2005 | 173 | #995 |
| 2004 | 161 | #1016 |
| 2003 | 139 | #1103 |
| 2002 | 221 | #781 |
| 2001 | 186 | #863 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Joan a popular boy name?
Joan ranked #985 among boys in 2025 with 232 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1124.
When was the name Joan most popular?
Joan peaked in 2025, when 232 American boys received the name (ranked #984 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Joan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,759 newborn American boys 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.