Meaning: Its source is gaudium, an English name meaning "Delight."

Languages: This girl's name is used in English.

Nicknames: Joyetta

Compound Forms: Joyann, Joylynn and Joyhannah

Alternative Spellings: Joi, Joie and Joye

Variant Forms: Joya, Joyeeta, Joyelle, Joyia, Joylene, Joylin, Joyvina, Joyan and Joyous

Non-English Forms: Joyke

Popularity: The name Joy ranked 483rd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 230th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

This name is highly rated in the 1990 U.S. Census popularity survey of all ages, but after 1960 does not appear in the state data listing the most popular baby names.

Narrative: The English word ''joy'' derives from the Latin term gaudium. That term might have been a source of the Latin name Gaius (sometimes spelled Caius), which survives in the form of the male English names Jay and Kay.