Joe
Boy name · #991 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 230 baby boys were named Joe, placing it at #991 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #597, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,826 boys born in 2025 was named Joe.
Babies named Joe per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Joe first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 731 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1936, when 8,023 boys were named Joe — good for #23 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Joe against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Joe in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Joe is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Joe will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Joe is most common
Geography matters for names, and Joe is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Joe is most common in TX (0.3 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000), FL (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 Joe is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Joe
Joe belongs to the Joseph family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Joseph family went to about 7,807 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #25, versus #991 for Joe alone.
Names like Joe
Statistically, parents drawn to Joe tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jerry, Eugene, Jimmy, Eddie, and Gene.
JerryEugeneJimmyEddieGeneBobbyLeeBilly
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Joe | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 230 | #991 |
| 2024 | 272 | #882 |
| 2023 | 256 | #909 |
| 2022 | 262 | #895 |
| 2021 | 310 | #794 |
| 2020 | 337 | #728 |
| 2019 | 350 | #707 |
| 2018 | 347 | #696 |
| 2017 | 365 | #684 |
| 2016 | 434 | #619 |
| 2015 | 460 | #597 |
| 2014 | 490 | #567 |
| 2013 | 476 | #555 |
| 2012 | 499 | #526 |
| 2011 | 536 | #490 |
| 2010 | 592 | #453 |
| 2009 | 607 | #453 |
| 2008 | 725 | #408 |
| 2007 | 732 | #402 |
| 2006 | 816 | #368 |
| 2005 | 800 | #370 |
| 2004 | 826 | #344 |
| 2003 | 899 | #327 |
| 2002 | 922 | #310 |
| 2001 | 965 | #302 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Joe a popular boy name?
Joe ranked #991 among boys in 2025 with 230 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #597.
When was the name Joe most popular?
Joe peaked in 1936, when 8,023 American boys received the name (ranked #23 that year). Since 1936 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Joe?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,826 newborn American boys was named Joe. 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.