How Many People Are Named Joan?
Complete statistics for the name Joan: rarity score, gender breakdown, age distribution, historical popularity, worldwide data, meaning and origin.
Joan, an uncommon female name with roots in Old French, means 'God is gracious'. It's rare, with just 1 in 1,413 Americans bearing this name, making it unique among female names. The majority of people named Joan are over 60, reflecting its status as a classic, old-school name.
📖 Meaning & Origin
People with the name Joan typically have a life path number of 4, symbolizing stability, practicality, and hard work.
🌍 Worldwide Usage
⚥ Gender Distribution
📊 Births by Age Group
Avg Cohort Age: 82All 488,473 recorded US births for this name, grouped by the age those individuals would be today. Not adjusted for survival, so the number living today is lower (see the living estimate above).
📈 Popularity Over Time
Peak: 1932Annual US births from SSA records · Trend: Rising
🏆 Name Scorecard
Scores 0–100 based on statistical analysis of US and worldwide name frequency
📜 Joan Through the Generations
Joan reached its peak popularity in 1932 when 21,132 babies were given this name. Today, there are 233,517 people named Joan living in the US, with most being over 60 years old. This age skew indicates that Joan is predominantly associated with older generations, though its recent rising trend suggests it's gaining traction again among younger parents.
📍 State Distribution (Top 10)
⭐ Famous People Named Joan
Joan is both a feminine form of the personal name John given to girls in the Anglosphere as well as the native masculine form of John in the Catalan-Valencian and Occitan languages. In both cases, the name is derived from the Greek via the Latin Ioannes and Ioanna, and is thus cognate with John and related to its many forms, including its derived feminine forms.…
Full list on Wikipedia →🌿 Related Names by Origin
Other names sharing Joan's Old French roots
📄 About the Name Joan
How Many People Have the Name Joan?
Based on Social Security Administration birth records and age-adjusted survival modeling, approximately 439 people in the United States currently share the name Joan. That works out to roughly 1 in every 755,010 Americans, placing it in the Very Rare category.
Is Joan a Common or Rare Name?
Joan is classified as Very Rare. The rarity scale runs from Very Common (shared by millions) through Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Very Rare. Understanding where a name sits helps parents gauge uniqueness, genealogists narrow down records, and individuals settle debates about their own name's distinctiveness.
What Does the Name Joan Mean?
Joan means "God is gracious" and comes from Old French origins. The name carries a life-path numerology number of 4.
Gender Breakdown
Of all recorded bearers of Joan in SSA data, approximately 3% are male and 97% are female.
When Was Joan Most Popular?
The name Joan reached peak popularity in 1932, with 21,132 babies registered that year. Current trend: Rising.
How Is This Data Calculated?
All figures are statistical estimates, not exact government headcounts. The underlying data comes from the SSA National Baby Names dataset. Full methodology is explained on the methodology page.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How many people are named Joan?
Approximately 439 people named Joan live in the United States today. All-time US births on record total 439. That works out to roughly 1 in 755,010 Americans.
Is Joan a rare name?
Joan is classified as Very Rare in the United States. Approximately 1 in every 755,010 Americans has this name.
What does the name Joan mean?
Joan means "God is gracious" and comes from Old French origins.
Is Joan more male or female?
Based on SSA records, 3% of people named Joan are male and 97% are female.
When was Joan most popular?
Joan peaked in 1932 with 21,132 births that year. Current trend: Rising.
How accurate are these statistics?
All figures are statistical estimates based on SSA birth records and age-adjusted modeling. See the methodology page for full details.