Unisex · English (from Old French and Latin) · Christian
Joy
JoySay it JOY
- Meaning today
- Happiness, delight
- Original meaning
- "a feeling of pleasure; a source of happiness" Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. joy (n.)
- Say it
- JOY
- Other spellings
- Joye
Joy
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Joy meaning
Joy is a Christian unisex name of English origin (from Old French and Latin), used for both girls and boys.
A feeling of pleasure; a source of happiness
Also used to mean: delight
Joy is the English word used as a name. The Online Etymology Dictionary traces it to Old French joie and Latin gaudia, the plural of gaudium, from gaudere, "to rejoice"; enjoy and rejoice share the root. By about 1300 it meant both the feeling of gladness and a source of it. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, and the Christmas angel brings "good tidings of great joy". In Kerala it is a boy's name in Christian families, while elsewhere it is also given to girls, so in India it is unisex.
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. joy (n.) · entry joy · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Online Etymology Dictionary, joy · Galatians 5:22 (Bible Hub)
Famous namesakes
- Joy Mathew, Malayalam actor and director
- Joy Alukkas, Kerala jeweller and businessman
Popularity abroad
- #419 United States, girls 2025 (up 21 from 440 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #542 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Joy · Joye