Given name & surname · also German, Germanic
Jocelyn
“from the tribe of Gauts”·“one who is cheerful, happy”
Jocelyn is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “from the tribe of Gauts” and “one who is cheerful, happy”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “from the tribe of Gauts” and “one who is cheerful, happy”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with English and Germanic naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
How it developed
In English usage, Jocelyn is a diminutive of José.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1900. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Jocelyn through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 113,412
- 351 boys · 113,061 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 5,304 babies
- 2025
- 788
- #393 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −44%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 788 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 393 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 43.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 5,293 in 2007. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (135). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 98,533 as a first name in 2020; 718 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jocelyn’s family of names
Jocelyn has a short form in Joss. In English usage, Jocelyn has a related form in Joselyn. In Cebuano usage, Jocelyn has a related form in Joselyn.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jocelyn has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
18 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 36
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Joselynvariant · English, ceb
- Yoselinvariant · English, ceb
- Jocelynnvariant · ceb
- Joslynvariant · English, ceb
- Joselinevariant
- Jasleenvariant · English
- Josselynvariant
- Joselinvariant · English, ceb
Show 28 moreShow fewer
- Josslynvariant
- Jossdiminutive · English
- Yoselynvariant · English, ceb
- Jocelynevariant · ceb, French
- Jocelinvariant · English, ceb
- Joscelynvariant
- Josselinvariant · French
- Josalynvariant
- Joslinvariant
- Josilynvariant
- Joselynevariant
- Jocelynnevariant · ceb
- Jocellynlikely variant
- Jozlynvariant
- Joslinevariant
- Joselinavariant
- Joscelinevariant · ceb
- Joscelinvariant · ceb
- Josalynnvariant
- Josalinevariant
- Jocelinevariant · ceb
- Joccelynlikely variant
- Josslinevariant
- Josilinevariant
- Josalindvariant
- Jocelindavariant
- Jocelinavariant
- Joséfull form · English
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jocelyn
- Jocelyn Bell BurnellBritish astrophysicist (born 1943)
- Barbara HepworthEnglish sculptor (1903–1975)
- Jocelyn AnglomaFrench football player and manager (born 1965)
- Jocelyn PookComposer, pianistborn 1960
- Jocelyn BrandoAmerican actress (1919–2005)
- Jocelyn QuivrinFrench actor (1979–2009)
- Jocelyn RaeBritish tennis playerborn 1991
- Joyciline JepkosgeiKenyan female long-distance runnerborn 1993
- Jocelyn DelecourFrench athleteborn 1935
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Jocelyn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Trinity
“the holy three”
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