Joel is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Joel means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Joel across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Joel has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Joel is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “the Lord is God”. a biblical prophet.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 282,250 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 18,920 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 875 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,245 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 388 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 2,932 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Joel per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1985 (4,661/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2005 (978/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2003 (74/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2008 (40/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2009 (22/yr).
Joel has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1985, when it ranked #131 nationally (given to 4,667 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Jill · Jewell · Jewel · Joelle · Jael · Joell · Jyl · Joely
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