Meaning & Origin
A diminutive of the male given names Joe or Joseph.
Joey is a boy's and girl's baby name of Hebrew origin, a diminutive of Joseph, from the Hebrew Yosef meaning "God will add" or "God will increase." As a standalone name, it carries the warm, likable quality of a natural-born nickname.
With nearly 54,000 U.S. births, Joey has been a genuine American name for generations. The character Joey Tribbiani from the sitcom Friends gave the name a lovable, slightly goofy charm that defined a generation. Its friendly accessibility has kept it in steady use long after the more formal Joseph.