Joel
Meaning: Its source is Yoel, a Hebrew name meaning "Yaweh is God."
In French, this name is spelled with an accent -- Joël.
Origin: "Yoel."
Languages: This boy's name is used in English and French.
Variant Forms: Jowell
Feminine Forms: Joelle
Source Forms: Yoel
Popularity: The name Joel ranked 116th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 133rd in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
This name was popular earlier in the 20th century, then fell off in usage, but has begun making a comeback in recent years.
Narrative: The four letters ''Y H W H'' (in their Hebrew forms) were used in the Jewish scriptures to represent the name of God, which was not allowed to be written, and was only to be uttered by priests at prescribed times during worship in the temple.
This ''Tetragrammaton,'' as it came to be called (from the Greek word for four, tetra), was often read as Adonai (lord). In time it came to be pronounced ''Yaweh,'' which is what scholars believe to be close to the original pronunciation.
The name is never pronounced by Jews who believe that the precise pronunciation of the tetragrammaton was lost. They continue to substitute the word ''Adonai,'' meaning my ''Lord'' or ''Master'' for it, until such a time as the lost information is rediscovered, presumably in the time of the rebuilding of the Temple.
As Yoel is based on the Tetragrammaton, it could be read as ''God is God,'' an affirmation that the God of the Jewish scriptures is the one and only God.
Leadership
- Joel F. Dubina
American judge.
- Circuit Judge, Eleventh Circuit Court (see list of Judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals)
- Joel M. Flaum
American judge.
- Circuit Judge, Seventh Circuit Court (see list of Judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals)
- Joel W. Johnson
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Hormel Foods (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
Miscellaneous
- Joel
Prophet who called on the people of Judah to repent.
- His story is told in the book of Joel (see list of Biblical Names from the Old Testament)
Sports
- Joel Benjamin
- 1987 U.S. Chess champion (see list of United States Chess Champions)
Stage and Screen
- Joel Coen (born 1954)
American actor, writer, director.
- Winner of the 1991 Cannes Film Festival Best Director award, for Barton Fink (see list of Cannes Film Festival Best Director Winners)
- Winner of the 1996 Cannes Film Festival Best Director award for Fargo (see list of Cannes Film Festival Best Director Winners)
- Dr. Joel Fleischman
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Rob Morrow (see list of Characters on ''Northern Exposure'')
- Joel Grey (born 1932)
American actor. Original name: Joe Katz.
- 1972 Academy Award winner for his performance in Cabaret (see list of Oscar Winners for Best Supporting Actor)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre (see list of Theater Personalites with stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Joel McCrea (born 1905, died 1990)
American actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (see list of Radio Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Joel Silver
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
The Literary World
- Joel Brinkley
- 1980 Pulitzer Prize winner for International Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting)
- Joel Chandler Harris (born 1848, died 1908)
American short-story writer.
- Wrote Uncle Remus (see list of Prose Writers of the Victorian Era)
- Joel Pett
- 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner for Editorial Cartooning (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning)
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| Jowell | ![]() |
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| Jael | ![]() |
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| Jayla | ![]() |
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| Jaylah | ![]() |
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| Jaylee | ![]() |
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| Jewel | ![]() |
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| Jewell | ![]() |
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| Jewelle | ![]() |
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| Jillie | ![]() |
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| Joell | ![]() |
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| Joelle | ![]() |
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| Jolee | ![]() |
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| Jolie | ![]() |
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| Joyelle | ![]() |
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| Julee | ![]() |
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| Juli | ![]() |
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| Julie | ![]() |
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| Jullie | ![]() |
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| July | ![]() |
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| Jalal | ![]() |
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| Jaleel | ![]() |
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| Jalil | ![]() |
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| Jewel | ![]() |
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| Jewell | ![]() |
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| Julie | ![]() |
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Teasing Nicknames:
- Coal
- Hole
- Jo Blow
- Jewel
- Jolly Jumpin' Joels
- Joel Mole
- Joely Oley Ravioli
- Troll
- Joely Goalie
- Joely Bean
- Slow Joe
- Julius
- Joel Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt
- Jolly
- Joelinski
Meaning: Its source is Yoel, a Hebrew name meaning "Yaweh is God."
Origin: "Yoel."
Popularity: The name Joel ranked 2648th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.
This name is usually reserved for boys. In part, it could owe its position on the US Census popularity list to incorrectly filled-out census forms.
None
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| Jowell | ![]() |
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| Jael | ![]() |
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| Jayla | ![]() |
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| Jaylah | ![]() |
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| Jaylee | ![]() |
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| Jewel | ![]() |
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| Jewell | ![]() |
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| Jewelle | ![]() |
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| Jillie | ![]() |
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| Joell | ![]() |
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| Joelle | ![]() |
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| Jolee | ![]() |
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| Jolie | ![]() |
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| Joyelle | ![]() |
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| Julee | ![]() |
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| Juli | ![]() |
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| Julie | ![]() |
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| Jullie | ![]() |
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| July | ![]() |
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| Jalal | ![]() |
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| Jaleel | ![]() |
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| Jalil | ![]() |
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| Jewel | ![]() |
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| Jewell | ![]() |
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| Julie | ![]() |
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