Pretty or cheerful
Joliet is a French-derived name likely originating as a diminutive of the word 'joli,' meaning pretty or cheerful. It is also famously associated with the city in Illinois, which was renamed in 1845 to honor the French-Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet.
Less common today
Joliet isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #10,628 in 2014.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
17th-century French-Canadian explorer who mapped the Mississippi River
