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My cousin is Joy and I love it on her. I don't think its dated or overused at all. It's very uplifting to me. I don't know anyone with the middle name Joy but I could see the temptation to put it there because it's short and a virtue name.

I knew a Joi and her sister was Hope nn Hopey.

I like Joy because it reminds me of the character from "My Name Is Earl." I know her character isn't supposed to be liked, but she's so funny, it's hard NOT to like her.

I definitely don't think it's plain or dated. It's one like June or Jane that is rare now and would be refreshing to see!

I love Joy as a mn. It was actually the mn I wanted for my first dd but it was nixed by my dh. As a fn? It's not something I'd use because it could be hard to live up to. ;-) Still, I'd find it fresh and fairly unusual if I encountered someone named Joy. I definitely wouldn't find it dated. BTW, I've only known two Joys (one in middle school, one the friend of a friend).

I like Joy!
Maybe it's too simple, but not dated. It's in the same category as Faith, Grace etc but not "as much" as they are, if you understadn what I mean..?
I prefer Joy as a middlename, but it's fine as a FN too. I don't know any Joy's but isn't there a character in "my name is Earl" named Joy?

I think it's very sweet. It's always been a favorite of mine. I don't think it's risen with Faith, Grace, and Hope, because those have religious overtones, which Joy lacks (to my delight). It may rise in the future, though. One syllable names are due for a resurgence and Faith, Grace, Hope, and Claire may be the leading wave.

My mom's name is Joy. I don't think it is a common middle name, but I'd like it as a middle name. I don't see it as dated and I like plain and simple. It does go in the same category as Faith, Grace, and Hope.

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The only problem I have with the name is that there is (or used to be) a dish detergent called Joy, which isn't really a negative association but it is an odd one.

I know a Joy who must be 19 or 20. She's a wonderfully cheerful, loyal, positive person who really spreads sunshine around, so that's perfect. The other Joys I've known are a whole lot older: one gloomy and the other energetic to the point of aggression.

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I love the name, and I don't see it as similar to Faith, Grace etc. I think of it as a different take on Beatrice/Beatrix, Hilary or Felicity. If anyone wanted to honour a Hilary but didn't like the name, then Joy could work very well.

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I don't know of any mn Joys, but I don't personally know any mn Graces either.

I like the name and have been thinking about it recently myself. I don't find it too plain, simple or dated at all. To me it fits in with the other virtue names like Faith, Grace, Hope, Patience and Mercy. I'm unsure why it isn't used more often actually, as it seems to be a name that parents would like for a mn. Other short names such as Grace, Hope and Rose are so popular, so I'm stumped. Not sure whether it will rise in popularity or not. Other names that I never expected to see/hear on children again have gained popularity, so it's possible. I have an aunt with the mn Joy and I remember going to school with a girl named Joy.

I work with a Joy, and she's the exact opposite to her name. Always cranky! And because of that, i dislike it immensely. I much prefer Grace, Hope and Faith.

I like it.

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It's maybe a little old-fashioned, but honestly, I haven't seen Joy enough at all to figure out where I think it "fits." It doesn't seem like Faith, Grace, etc. to me despite the obvious connection; it isn't nearly as popular to my experience. That lack of popularity definitely makes it more sweet and interesting than its tired counterparts.

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I know one Joy. It suited her and didn't seem out of place in any sense.

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I get the feeling that it might be a more common middle name than first, certainly, but offhand I can't think of anyone I've met who has it. It's like Mae or Lynn in that it's the kind of thing that we tend to talk up on this board as 'refreshing' first names or whatnot but that don't seem to make actual appearances as such, here or otherwise.

I really like the name Joy. I am afraid, though, if I used it my daughter would be just the character you described. Joy is a very popular mn in my family. I know two girls named Rachel Joy.

It's my best friend's mn, and I love it. She was named for her great Aunt though, so I'm not sure if it would be common or not. She was born in the early 1990s.
I think it's ready for a comeback.

I think it's adorable too! It's just so bright and, obviously, joyful! It is a simple name, being that it's short, uncomplicated, and straightforward. I don't really feel like it's dated, though. I suppose it would belong in the same category as names like Faith, Grace, and Hope, but I kind of equate it more with names like May and Rose-- it's a word, but you don't really notice it at first. I am surprised that it isn't more popular, and wouldn't be surprised if it ever gained more popularity.

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I've known two Joys. One was my eighth grade English teacher, who I'd guess was born in the early 70s, and the other is the daughter of an old friend of my mother's, who was probably born in the mid-late 80s. I'd imagine it's a more common middle name than first name, and I know that I know at least one person whose middle name is Joy. Can't think of exactly who right now, though.