Is Jocelyn a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Jocelyn is commonly used as a Girl name.

How popular is Jocelyn?

It’s currently ranked #348 in the U.S. Recent trend: Falling.

How do you pronounce Jocelyn?

JOSS-uh-lin · IPA: //ˈdʒɒs.ə.lɪn//

Jocelyn Girl

Popularity: #348 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Origin(s)

Old French; Latin

Meaning

Old French: joyful; Latin: from the name Joscelin

Historical & Cultural Background

Jocelyn originated from the Old French name Joscelin, which was derived from a Germanic name meaning 'little Goth.' The name gained popularity in England during the Norman Conquest. Over time, Jocelyn evolved into a feminine form and became widely used in English-speaking countries. It has seen various spellings and adaptations throughout history.

Trend Summary

Jocelyn has experienced fluctuating popularity in the United States, peaking in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Variants

Joslyn
Jocelyne

International Variants

Jocelyne (French)
Jocelina (Spanish)

Famous people named Jocelyn

Jocelyn Bell Burnell is an astrophysicist known for her discovery of pulsars.

Jocelyn Wildenstein is a socialite and art dealer, often referred to in media for her appearance.

Jocelyn Moorhouse is an Australian film director and screenwriter recognized for her work in the film industry.

Jocelyn Enriquez is a singer and songwriter known for her contributions to the dance music genre.

Fictional characters named Jocelyn

Jocelyn is a character in the book series 'The Mortal Instruments' by Cassandra Clare, known for her role as a Shadowhunter.

Jocelyn is a character in the animated series 'The Fairly OddParents,' where she appears as a friend of the main characters.

Sibling Suggestions

Madeline Isabelle Charlotte Evelyn Lillian Vivian

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Jocelyn was first seen in the United States in 1900. Jocelyn has ranked as high as #136 nationally, which occurred in 2007, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Ohio. In the past 5 years the name Jocelyn has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

All data featured information on this baby name page is provided from official Social Security Administration databases. Names, Gender, and Birthdates are updated annually by the SSA for both national and state birth totals. Our records on the national level data back to 1880. If a chart starts after 1880 it's because that baby name first appeared in official SSA records at that time. If you're name shows a data after your birthdate as a start pointing, feel free to contact us using our contact section and we'll happily update with your birth year.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Jocelyn (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
CA	142	19%
TX	130	17%
FL	46	6%
NY	32	4%
OH	27	4%
IL	27	4%
AZ	26	3%
PA	22	3%
GA	21	3%
NC	21	3%
KS	18	2%
CO	16	2%
TN	16	2%
IN	16	2%
WA	15	2%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1900	6
1910	5
1911	5
1912	8
1913	9
1914	10
1915	11
1916	24
1917	27
1918	20
1919	23
1920	25
1921	33
1922	24
1923	46
1924	44
1925	48
1926	45
1927	63
1928	64
1929	80
1930	67
1931	85
1932	62
1933	63
1934	75
1935	51
1936	72
1937	50
1938	44
1939	73
1940	56
1941	60
1942	62
1943	73
1944	47
1945	72
1946	70
1947	72
1948	79
1949	97
1950	136
1951	276
1952	255
1953	308
1954	304
1955	383
1956	404
1957	353
1958	306
1959	241
1960	228
1961	223
1962	222
1963	267
1964	262
1965	292
1966	297
1967	260
1968	324
1969	390
1970	413
1971	396
1972	351
1973	356
1974	389
1975	400
1976	424
1977	938
1978	827
1979	721
1980	761
1981	809
1982	741
1983	723
1984	869
1985	869
1986	851
1987	979
1988	1,104
1989	1,081
1990	1,317
1991	1,355
1992	1,843
1993	1,926
1994	2,058
1995	2,193
1996	2,509
1997	2,621
1998	2,583
1999	2,477
2000	2,745
2001	2,827
2002	3,521
2003	3,718
2004	3,743
2005	3,681
2006	4,370
2007	5,293
2008	4,372
2009	4,117
2010	3,996
2011	3,731
2012	3,232
2013	3,151
2014	2,763
2015	2,453
2016	2,105
2017	1,843
2018	1,560
2019	1,520
2020	1,146
2021	1,092
2022	1,015
2023	890
2024	808