Joey

Joey is one of those names that screams New York-New Jersey. It practically begs to be pronounced with a Brooklyn accent. Of course Joe and Joey are used all over America as nicknames for Joseph, Joey just makes us think of a young Italian ragazzo from the East Coast. Like Joey Tribbiani from “Friends”. As an independently given name – you know, where Joey is the official name on the birth certificate rather than Joseph – it’s been around for a lot longer than we would have guessed. And more popular than we would have thought too. Joey is just so informal and casual it doesn’t feel like a proper given name. But herein apparently lies his charm. Many American parents opt for nicknames as given names. They tend to be less traditional and customary. They are more relaxed and cutesy. But nicknames also provide for less flexibility later in life. Joey is a very boyish name which is why many grown up Joeys might start calling themselves Joe. In any case, Joey has been around on the charts since the 1940s. His peak popularity was achieved during the 1960s and 70s when he briefly made the Top 200 list. Of course not as popular as Joseph, Joey has still done quite well all things considered. Aside from being a bonafide masculine given name, Joey is still used as a nickname for girls (particularly for Josephine). Oh, and a “joey” is also the term for a baby marsupial (kangaroos, koalas and the like). You know, the little guys that ride around in mommy’s pouch.