Joel Name Meaning & Origin
Joel
Origin of the name Joel:
A borrowing from the Ecclesiastic Late Latin, Joel is from the Ecclesiastic Greek Iōēl, a name derived from the Hebrew Yoel, which is from yō'ēl (the Lord is God). The name is borne in the Bible by a minor Hebrew prophet (5th century B.C.?) whose prophecies and preachings are found in the book of Joel.
From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman.
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US Popularity of Joel Over Time

Sister & Brother Names
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Name Lists Featuring Joel
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden 2014
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland 2014
- Spanish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Spain 2014
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Northern Ireland 2014
- German Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Germany 2014
- Swiss Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Switzerland (German)
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (New South Wales), 2010
- Australian Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Australia (Victoria), 2010
- New Zealand Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in New Zealand, 2010
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland, 2010
- Spanish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Spain, 2010
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden, 2010
- Swiss Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Switzerland (German), 2010
- Irish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Northern Ireland for 2012
- New Zealand Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in New Zealand for 2012
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden for 2012
- Finnish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Finland for 2012
- Portuguese Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Portugal 2012
- Spanish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Spain 2012
- Spanish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Spain
- German Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Germany
- Catalonian Boys Names: Most Popular Boys Names in Catalonia
- Swedish Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Sweden
- Swiss Boys Names: Most Popular Names for Boys in Switzerland
Contribute your knowledge to the name Joel
- Comments and insights on the name Joel
My son's name is Joel. He is Spanish. People often pronounce it JOLE...I hate that!. He is JO-EL!
...It IS actually pronounced JOHL, not JO-EL...sorry!
...not in Spanish it isn't. In Spanish we pronounce both syllables.
- Personal experiences with the name Joel
My husband's name is Joel. Whenever we give his name at restaurants, no one seems able to pronounce it. They generally try to call him "Joe-el" or use the silent j sound and say "ho-el". I'm not quite sure what is so difficult about it, but it's a common occurrence! Either way - it's a great name!
I've known several Joels in my life and each of them has been a wonderfully friendly, easy-going person. The name makes me smile.
________________________________________________________________________My name is Joel and I could not regret having this name since it requires much effort to change it anyway.
Many times I had this uncomfortable feeling when I try to pronounce my name especially the "j" sound. Initially, I hardly pronounce my name when I was asked to introduce myself inside the class since elementary grade school years until college. Whenever I am asked to tell my name, I usually pronounced it "Ju-wel" not "Jo-wel". I feel un-easy when I pronounce it "Jo-wel" or "Jo-el".
My previous boss (Saudi national) used to call me "Joli" in the office. I wondered how he pronounced my name!- Nicknames for Joel
J, Jo, Bebo
My 9-month-old son's name is Joel...he gets called lots of names, Joelby, Joelie, Joelbert, Polie, Joelster. I don't like Joe, Joey, or JoJo, so we do not call him those.
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Jo (holding the "o"),- Meanings and history of the name Joel
Joel Torre (a Filipino movie actor)
- Famous real-life people named Joel
Joel Peat - Lead guitarist in the band Lawson
Joel Madden - American musician
Joel McHale - American actor and comedian
Joel Hodgson - American writer and actor
Joel McCrea - American actor
Joel Grey - American actor
Joel Carver Whitburn - American author
Joel Gosselin - youngest of the Gosselin sextuplets, seen on "Jon and Kate plus 8"
Joel Coen - American filmmaker; brother of Ethan Coen
Joel Schumacher - American film director
Joel Silver - American film producer
Joel Reinders - American football player
Joel Dreessen - American football player
Joel Hagglund, real name of Swedish-American songwriting radical Joe Hill
Joel Ward, professional ice hockey player (San Jose Sharks)- Joel in song, story & screen
Joel Graham - Husband to Julia Braverman in "Parenthood"
Joel is the main character in The Last Of Us game.