Joyce is a distinctive choice, ranked #1407 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Joyce in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1407
US Rank #986
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About the Name Joyce
Joyce is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 147 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #731 in 2003 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Joyce is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Joyce in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #986, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Joyce
Yootha Joyce — Yootha Joyce Needham, known as Yootha Joyce, was a British actress best known for playing Mildred Roper opposite Brian Murphy in the sitcom Man About the House and its spin-off George and Mildred.
Emily Joyce — Emily Sian Joyce is an English actress, known for playing the role of Janet Dawkins in the BBC comedy series My Hero between 2000 and 2006.
Barnaby Joyce — Barnaby Thomas Gerard Joyce is an Australian politician who served as the deputy prime minister of Australia and the leader of the National Party from 2016 to 2018 and from 2021 to 2022.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Joyce
Unlikely. With around 22 UK babies named Joyce per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Joyce in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Joyce is rising: up 635 places since 2020, to #1,407 in 2025. Its best recorded position was #731 in 2003.
Joyce is more popular in the US (#986) than in the UK (#1895). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Joyce include: Emily Joyce and Barnaby Joyce. Short summaries for each appear below.
Joyce does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Joyces in the wild.
22
UK babies named Joyce (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 635 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Joyce
Almost certainly the only Joyce in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2022)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Joyce
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Yootha Joyce Needham, known as Yootha Joyce, was a British actress best known for playing Mildred Roper opposite Brian Murphy in the sitcom Man About the House and its spin-off George and Mildred.
Barnaby Thomas Gerard Joyce is an Australian politician who served as the deputy prime minister of Australia and the leader of the National Party from 2016 to 2018 and from 2021 to 2022.
Alfred Joyce Kilmer was an American writer and poet mainly remembered for a short poem titled "Trees", which was published in the collection Trees and Other Poems in 1914.
Joyce Bryant was an American singer, dancer, and civil rights activist who achieved fame in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a theater and nightclub performer.