Unisex · #11,471 in 2026

Joal

Joal-Fadiouth is a town and urban commune in the Thiès Region at the end of the Petite Côte of Senegal, south-east of Dakar.

Current Rank
#11,471
Peak Rank
#2,690 (1946)
Total Babies
97
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #4,866 (25 total)
👦 Boy peak #2,690 (97 total)
👦As Boy Name
1939
First Year
2005
Last Year
1946
Peak Year
#2690
Peak Rank
97
Total Count
17
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1936
First Year
1967
Last Year
1966
Peak Year
#4866
Peak Rank
25
Total Count
4
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Joal

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Joal-Fadiouth is a town and urban commune in the Thiès Region at the end of the Petite Côte of Senegal, south-east of Dakar.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
While the origin of the village remains disputed, the establishment of the Serer in the area is assumed to have begun when the advance of the Almoravids in the 11th century forced them to leave the Sénégal River valley, occupying the Petite Côte and the region of the Sine River . Another theory claims that Joal and Fadiouth have been founded by the Guelowar when they were expelled from the kingdom of Kaabu . Both of these theories draw on the frequency of certain surnames as evidence, indicating families' ethnic origins. During the colonial period , Joal became one of the largest trading posts

The Story of Joal

As a girl name

Joal first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1936, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1966, when 8 Joals were born — ranking #4,866 that year. As of 2026, Joal ranks #6,802 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 25 Joals have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Joal first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1939, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1946, when 8 Joals were born — ranking #2,690 that year. As of 2026, Joal ranks #11,471 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 97 Joals have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Joal

Phonetically similar names — useful when Joal is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Joal

What does the name Joal mean?
Joal-Fadiouth is a town and urban commune in the Thiès Region at the end of the Petite Côte of Senegal, south-east of Dakar.
How popular is Joal in 2026?
In 2026, Joal ranks #11,471 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Joal most popular?
Joal reached its peak popularity in 1946, ranking #2,690 that year with 8 babies given the name.
Is Joal a unisex name?
Yes — Joal is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 20% of Joals assigned female and 80% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Joal?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Joal include Lorrie, Redgie, Fong. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Joal

Joal is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1939 and has accumulated 97 births in the dataset. Joal's peak popularity came in 1946 when it ranked #2,690. Use the chart and map above to compare Joal's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.