Joel Name Meaning

The name Joel is derived from the Hebrew name Yoel, which means “Yahweh is God.” Yahweh is the name of the God of the Israelites in the Hebrew Bible, and it is often translated as “Lord” in English. So, in essence, the name Joel is a declaration of faith in the one true God.

History of the Name Joel

The name Joel is of Hebrew origin, and it first appears in the Bible in the Old Testament. Joel is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible. His book, the Book of Joel, is a short prophetic book that describes a locust plague and a call to repentance. In the book, Joel is described as the son of Pethuel, though little else is known about him.

Popularity of the Name Joel

Joel has been a popular name for centuries, but it has seen ups and downs in popularity over the years. In the United States, the name Joel reached its peak of popularity in the 1960s, when it was among the top 100 most popular names for boys. Since then, its popularity has decreased, but it is still a popular name today, and it’s usually in the top 1000 names.

Famous Joels

Throughout history, there have been many famous men named Joel, including:

  • Joel Chandler Harris, an American journalist, fiction writer, and folklorist, best known for his collection of Uncle Remus stories.
  • Joel Grey, an American actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in the 1972 film Cabaret.
  • Joel Osteen, an American televangelist, author, and pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.

Final Thoughts on the Name Joel

In conclusion, the name Joel is a classic, timeless name that has been around for centuries. It’s a name with a rich history and a powerful meaning, and it has been popular for many years. Whether you’re looking for a strong, traditional name for your baby boy or just love the sound of the name Joel, it’s definitely a name worth considering.

Infographic of Joel name meaning, which is A Hebrew name, Joel means Yahweh is God.
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Joel Name Popularity

How popular is the name Joel? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 369 19 0.0054%
1911 453 14 0.0038%
1912 333 89 0.0176%
1913 321 117 0.0206%
1914 336 153 0.022%
1915 320 227 0.025%
1916 310 240 0.0248%
1917 304 268 0.0268%
1918 300 302 0.0281%
1919 295 305 0.0291%
1920 315 296 0.0266%
1921 289 344 0.03%
1922 298 328 0.0294%
1923 297 318 0.0284%
1924 291 350 0.0301%
1925 297 329 0.0291%
1926 292 337 0.0306%
1927 291 349 0.0315%
1928 276 383 0.0358%
1929 271 383 0.037%
1930 266 411 0.0393%
1931 244 433 0.0439%
1932 204 594 0.0601%
1933 186 631 0.0677%
1934 172 782 0.0809%
1935 158 884 0.091%
1936 143 1,047 0.1087%
1937 140 1,086 0.1102%
1938 135 1,241 0.1212%
1939 134 1,281 0.1259%
1940 141 1,254 0.118%
1941 142 1,305 0.1159%
1942 132 1,576 0.1248%
1943 128 1,720 0.1318%
1944 125 1,693 0.1366%
1945 132 1,578 0.1294%
1946 127 1,988 0.1347%
1947 133 2,126 0.1274%
1948 137 2,015 0.1262%
1949 136 1,974 0.1227%
1950 130 2,036 0.1265%
1951 129 2,156 0.1272%
1952 131 2,220 0.1272%
1953 134 2,291 0.1294%
1954 127 2,586 0.1415%
1955 121 2,794 0.1519%
1956 106 3,424 0.1813%
1957 105 3,593 0.1867%
1958 120 3,213 0.17%
1959 116 3,453 0.1817%
1960 110 3,703 0.1954%
1961 110 3,509 0.1859%
1962 113 3,297 0.1796%
1963 110 3,225 0.1797%
1964 110 3,134 0.178%
1965 113 2,860 0.1749%
1966 102 3,223 0.2064%
1967 90 3,471 0.2287%
1968 80 3,683 0.2453%
1969 80 3,682 0.239%
1970 82 3,842 0.2414%
1971 86 3,499 0.2329%
1972 77 3,527 0.259%
1973 73 3,565 0.275%
1974 75 3,493 0.2687%
1975 74 3,728 0.2901%
1976 72 3,725 0.289%
1977 73 3,824 0.2837%
1978 74 3,811 0.2835%
1979 71 4,215 0.2989%
1980 67 4,568 0.3124%
1981 65 4,541 0.3089%
1982 69 4,439 0.2971%
1983 67 4,347 0.2946%
1984 66 4,517 0.3036%
1985 67 4,625 0.3047%
1986 72 4,507 0.2986%
1987 74 4,135 0.271%
1988 85 3,935 0.2525%
1989 88 3,930 0.2435%
1990 94 3,995 0.241%
1991 100 3,760 0.2307%
1992 100 3,659 0.2292%
1993 101 3,550 0.2277%
1994 108 3,359 0.2189%
1995 120 3,093 0.2052%
1996 124 2,986 0.1994%
1997 126 2,978 0.2014%
1998 117 3,165 0.2115%
1999 114 3,175 0.212%
2000 112 3,370 0.2206%
2001 126 3,154 0.2093%
2002 123 3,173 0.2117%
2003 124 3,232 0.2124%
2004 124 3,223 0.2115%
2005 123 3,262 0.2133%
2006 123 3,436 0.2194%
2007 123 3,405 0.2158%
2008 113 3,734 0.2416%
2009 116 3,546 0.2372%
2010 132 3,046 0.2114%
2011 133 3,043 0.2136%
2012 145 2,765 0.194%
2013 144 2,703 0.1898%
2014 154 2,651 0.182%
2015 158 2,586 0.1777%
2016 166 2,401 0.1665%
2017 178 2,219 0.159%
2018 188 2,103 0.1531%
2019 186 2,065 0.1525%
2020 206 1,777 0.1396%
2021 210 1,774 0.1451%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Joel

If you like Joel, you’ll love these other names like Joel.

What names are variants of Joel?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Joel.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Joell

Jehovah is the Lord

Hebrew

Yoel

Jehovah is the Lord

Hebrew

What names sound like Joel?

If you like how Joel sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Joel.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Jael

Mountain goat

Hebrew

Yael

Mountain goat; heights, upland; fertile moor

Welsh

Lists With Joel

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Joel.

Siblings of Joel

Mamas with kids named Joel also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Adelyn

Noble one

German

Naomi

Pleasant one

Hebrew

Declan

Full of goodness

Irish

Isaac

He will laugh

Hebrew

12 Comments

  1. I’ve always loved the name Joel, and it’s a short and sweet Bible name. All of our kids are one-syllable Bible names, so Joel fit perfectly into our family!

    Reply

  2. His name means – JAHVE IS GOD or Man who believes God.

    Reply

  3. His dad decided his name after his grandpa, Joel Jay.
    I absolutely did not like the name in the beginning, but eventually it grew on me and now I love it! It is a truly fitting name for my baby boy and I’m glad I left the decision to his dad.

    Reply

  4. MY HUSBAND CHOOSED JOEL ON NIGHT AS WE WHERE READING THE BIBLE TOGETHER. YES I LOVE THE NAME JOEL

    Reply

  5. I’m nervous.. idk how to inhale… all this.

    Reply

  6. I named him after my husband, his father and grandfather!

    Reply

  7. We chose the name Joel Thomas. Joel is my husband’s name so that’s the main reason we chose it! We chose a different middle name than my husband’s so he is not legally a “junior”. Thomas is a family name on both sides. We also liked that there are a lot of different nickname options: Joel Jr, Jr, JJ, JT…

    Reply

  8. I’ve loved the name Joel for years! My husband wasn’t convinced at first but as soon as my oldest son was born he said “you’re right, he is Joel”. I love the strength of the name, how it’s uncommon but not unusual, and it has a timeless Biblical quality to it.

    Reply

  9. The name Joel means “the Lord is God” and in some translations “the Lord is willing”. We had a lot of things happen in our pregnancy and all of them were beyond our control. We felt the name Joel was so fitting for our son because it was clearly the Lord’s will for him to be born. I also would highly recommend this name to any parent because in those first few weeks of their life when it feels like everything is out of control, literally saying his name reminded me that I’m not in control and God’s got this – all will be ok eventually!

    Reply

  10. He’s fathers name and my kids name start we A and the mildle name is J but this baby is different he’s first name start we J and the middle name is Amir

    Reply

  11. Joel is a family name from my husband’s side. I think it fits our son quite well. I also love that is a biblical name that isn’t used very often these days.

    Reply

  12. My husband always loved the name Joel, but it took me a while to come around. At first, I was concerned that it sounded too tough, but since giving it more consideration, I have come to think of it as a gentle, sweet name. My husband and I love Joel Plaskett and got engaged at one of his concerts. We have seen him multiple times, and also love Billy Joel (who we have also seen in concert a few times). We also liked having a name that was biblical. We love our little Joel-y.

    Reply

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