Joan

Joan - A very unique male name

Joan appeared on the charts for the first time in 1925 on position #1506. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Joan and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Joan? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Joan. The baby boy name Joan was given to 178 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1006 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 8,238 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Joan peaked in popularity 89 years ago in 1937 on position 620.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Joan, 1-5?

Joan is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Joan is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #570 - and is the least popular in Illinois at position #1,382.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Joan is where you live.

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Joan origin and meaning

Catalan — form of John

The Catalan form of John, from Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious'

For a boy, Joan is the Catalan and Balearic form of John, pronounced with a zh- or h- sound in its home languages — the name of painter Joan Miró. In the United States it is easily mistaken for the girl's name Joan, but its boy use is rising to a peak in 2025.

Attested etymology

Joan is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Joan, pop culture references for the name Joan and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Joan

We've found the following names that sound similar to Joan, sorted by popularity.

John / Jason / Juan / Johnny / Jackson / Jimmy / Jon / Jim / Jaxon / Jimmie /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Joan

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Joan a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Joan?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

zhoo-AHN · /ʒoˈɑn/
Catalan use is zhoo-AHN; in Spanish contexts also ho-AHN, and many Americans will simply say JONE, like the girl's name.

Around the world

• Joan (Catalan) — The standard Catalan masculine form of John.
• Juan (Spanish) — The Spanish cognate form.

Spellings and nicknames

• Juan — The Spanish form of the same name.

Famous bearers

• Joan Miró — Catalan painter and sculptor (1893–1983) Historical
• Joan Laporta — Spanish football executive, president of FC Barcelona (b. 1962) Contemporary

Style

InternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

Joan for a boy honours Catalan heritage and a great painter's name. In the US it takes confidence, because most people will first read it as a girl's name.

Worth knowing

• In America this will be read as the girl's name Joan (JONE) almost every time — that is the central friction of the name.
• Pronunciation needs leading with, every time.