Joey
Boy name · #875 in 2025 · Rare
Joey ranks #875 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 274 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #757, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,569 boys born in 2025 was named Joey.
The 110-year story
Joey first appears in the Social Security records in 1915, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1962, when 1,529 boys were named Joey — good for #200 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 Joey per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Joey against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Joey in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Joey is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Joey will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Joey is most common
Geography matters for names, and Joey is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Joey is most common in CA (0.4 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), PA (0.2 per 1,000), OH (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Joey is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Joey
Joey 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 #875 for Joey alone.
Names like Joey
Statistically, parents drawn to Joey tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jeffrey, Tony, Rudy, Jimmy, and Stanley.
JeffreyTonyRudyJimmyStanleyRickyJayJon
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Joey | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 274 | #874 |
| 2024 | 267 | #888 |
| 2023 | 258 | #901 |
| 2022 | 264 | #891 |
| 2021 | 252 | #910 |
| 2020 | 253 | #895 |
| 2019 | 306 | #772 |
| 2018 | 323 | #739 |
| 2017 | 301 | #777 |
| 2016 | 355 | #695 |
| 2015 | 318 | #757 |
| 2014 | 370 | #684 |
| 2013 | 382 | #642 |
| 2012 | 404 | #609 |
| 2011 | 408 | #604 |
| 2010 | 405 | #612 |
| 2009 | 408 | #616 |
| 2008 | 448 | #575 |
| 2007 | 470 | #547 |
| 2006 | 474 | #532 |
| 2005 | 482 | #510 |
| 2004 | 508 | #487 |
| 2003 | 496 | #494 |
| 2002 | 448 | #508 |
| 2001 | 435 | #518 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Joey a popular boy name?
Joey ranked #875 among boys in 2025 with 274 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #757.
When was the name Joey most popular?
Joey peaked in 1962, when 1,529 American boys received the name (ranked #200 that year). Since 1962 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Joey?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,569 newborn American boys was named Joey. 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.