Joan

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

Girl's name · #1087 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Joan was #5 in 1931, slipped to #2853 by 2010, and has climbed back to #1087 today. Roughly 481,000 girls have been named Joan since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records. Joan is split almost evenly between girls and boys among recent newborns. Joan's short forms are Joni and Joanie.

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)

In stories & tradition

Joan (Barbara Gordon) — Batman: Gotham City Racer · Batman: Vengeance
Joan Holloway — Mad Men
Joan — Earth-616

What Joans become

Among 4,542 notable people named Joan:

Artists & writers appear 1.61× more often than among typical names — e.g. Joan Collins, English actress, author and columnist.

Similar names: Joann · Lorraine · Joyce · Billie · Ann · Marian

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

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service