Joan

“God is gracious” — Hebrew via Greek and Latin origin

Girl's name · #1085 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Joan has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #5 (1931) · 481,238 babies named Joan all-time · 1 in 7,100 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 18,000 girls in England & Wales (2025) · about 1 in 18,000 girls in Canada (2024).

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

Famous Joans

Joan of Arc — French folk heroine (1412–1431), military leader who crowned Charles VII and Roman Catholic saint, canonized 500 years after her death
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)

Among 4,532 notable people named Joan:

Artists & writers appear 1.62× more often than among typical names — e.g. Joan Collins, English actress, author and columnist.

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