Given name & surname
Joss
“God shall add”
In English use, Joss is a diminutive of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Joss is a diminutive of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Joss is a diminutive of Joseph. Joseph is the English and French form of the Hebrew name Yosef. Joss is a short form of Jocelyn. Jocelyn has been associated with English and Germanic naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Joss is used as a shortened form of Jocelyn. In English use, Joss is a diminutive of Joseph. The shared background comes through Joseph: The English and French name continues the biblical Hebrew form Yosef. The idea of adding is part of the name’s original family context, rather than a later personality interpretation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1977. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Joss is a diminutive of Joseph. The history of Joseph gives this family its wider story. In Genesis, Joseph is Jacob’s son who is taken to Egypt and later reconciled with his brothers. In the New Testament, Joseph is also the husband of Mary, giving the name a distinct place in Christian tradition.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Joss through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 691
- 436 boys · 255 girls
- Most popular year
- 2005
- 41 babies
- 2025
- 13
- #9,283 for boys · #15,989 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,283 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 25.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 760 as a first name in 2020; 764 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.
Joss’s family of names
In English usage, Joss is a diminutive of Joseph. Joss has a related form in Jocelyn. Joss has a related form in Joseph.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Joss
- Joss WhedonAmerican director, screenwriter, and producer (born 1964)
- Joss StoneEnglish singer, songwriter, and actress (born 1987)
- Joss AcklandEnglish actor (1928–2023)
- Joss ChristensenAmerican freestyle skier, Olympianborn 1991
- Joß FritzGerman insurgent (1470-1525)
- Joss Williamsvisual effects supervisor2000–2019
- Joss Ambleractor1900–1959
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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