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Home › Baby Names Directory › Joel

Joel

♀ Girl

Pronounced JOH-el /ˈdʒoʊ.ɛl/Medium

Meaning: From the Hebrew Yoel, 'Yahweh is God', the name of a biblical prophet. It is strongly a boys' name; used here for a girl, which we note.Medium

In 30 seconds: A strong biblical name: Joel means 'Yahweh is God' (said 'JOH-el'). Strongly a boy's — we note it.
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Origin MediumHebrew
MeaningFrom the Hebrew Yoel, 'Yahweh is God', the name of a biblical prophet. It is strongly a boys' name; used here for a girl, which we note.
U.S. rank (2024)#12690 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1966
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,588

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 196619122024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

As a name, Joel is Hebrew, 'Yahweh is God', borne by an Old Testament prophet. It is strongly a boys' name; used here for a girl, which we note. A firm, two-beat pick (said 'JOH-el').

For girls it appears only rarely in the U.S., against far heavier boys' use. Rare for girls, biblical, and classic.

Did you know? Joel comes from the Hebrew Yoel, 'Yahweh is God', a biblical prophet. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name, used here for a girl, which we note (said 'JOH-el').
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Joel — Hebrew 'Yahweh is God'; cross-sex, strongly boy

Variations

JoelleJoelaYoel

Nicknames

JoJoey

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Joel…

Joelle— the clearly feminine form of Joel
Noel— a like biblical unisex pick
Jonah— a like Hebrew prophet name
Jael— shares the -el ending
Rachel— another biblical pick

Explore names like Joel

By themeheritagebiblicalcross-sexunisex-lean-boy

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Joel mean?

Joel is Hebrew for 'Yahweh is God', the name of a biblical prophet.

How do you pronounce Joel?

It's said JOH-el /ˈdʒoʊ.ɛl/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Joel a boy or girl name?

Joel is strongly a boy's name; used here for a girl, which we note. The feminine form is Joelle.

How popular is Joel?

Joel is rare for girls in the U.S. and far more common for boys.

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