The name Joel comes from the Hebrew name Yo'el, which is composed of the Hebrew elements yo and el, both of which refer to the Hebrew God. Therefore, the name translates to "Yahweh is God." In the Bible, Joel is the second of the 12 minor prophets known for writing about a locust plague that causes starvation for humans and animals. The name has appeared in the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 for boy names every year since 1900 and was a top-100 boy's name between 1967 and 1989. It most recently fell outside of the top-200 in 2020. Some parents today prefer Joe or Joey, while girl parents prefer Joelle.
