Given name & surname · also Germanic
Joslyn
“from the tribe of Gauts”·“one who is cheerful, happy”
Joslyn is a variant of Jocelyn. 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
Joslyn is a variant of Jocelyn. Interpretations include “from the tribe of Gauts” and “one who is cheerful, happy”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Joslyn is a form of Jocelyn. Jocelyn probably comes from Middle English, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1930. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Joslyn through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 11,255
- 28 boys · 11,227 girls
- Most popular year
- 2010
- 461 babies
- 2025
- 63
- #2,732 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −56%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 63 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,732 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 56.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 461 in 2010. In 2025, Ohio had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,915 as a first name in 2020; 2,497 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.
Joslyn’s family of names
In English usage, Joslyn has a related form in Jocelyn.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Joslyn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jocelynn
“from the tribe of Gauts” · “one who is cheerful, happy”
>99% girls
Joselyn
“from the tribe of Gauts” · “one who is cheerful, happy”
>99% girls
Joselin
“a Geat, a Goth”
>99% girls
Jocelin
“from the tribe of Gauts” · “one who is cheerful, happy”
>99% girls
Yoselin
“a Geat, a Goth”
>99% girls
Yoselyn
“a Geat, a Goth”
>99% girls
Carlee
“a free woman”
>99% girls
Karlee
“a small, strong woman”
>99% girls