Joey is the friendly short form of Joseph, the Hebrew name meaning "he will add" or "God will increase", borne by the dreamer of Genesis and by the husband of Mary. In America it has stood on its own at least since the 1960s, and characters like Joey Tribbiani in Friends made it one of the most familiar nicknames on television. Joey was number 485 in 2000 and ranks number 877 among boys in 2025.