The first name Jocelyn
A girl’s name meaning “a geat”, “a goth”.
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɒsəlɪn/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Jocelyn means “a geat”, “a goth”.
From the Middle English male given name from Old French Joscelin, German Gautzelin, diminutive of names beginning with the tribal name Gaut (“a Geat, a Goth”), the root form of which probably comes from Proto-Germanic *Gautalinþiz (from *gautaz + *linþaz); also used as a diminutive form of the Breton name Josse (= Joyce). It survived as a surname and was revived as a given name in the nineteenth century. * Jocelyn is currently popular among U.S. Hispanics, and in the Philippines, by folk etymology explained as a feminine diminutive form of José (Joseph).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 15 girls were named Jocelyn, making it the 1,892nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2005, with 71 births (#494).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jocelyn with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Jocelyn at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 788 girls born in the United States were named Jocelyn, the 393rd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2007, when 5,293 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Jocelyn in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Jocelyn in French too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Jocelyn
28 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Jocelyn Bell BurnellBritish astrophysicist (born 1943)
- Jocelyn AnglomaFrench football player and manager, born 1965
- Jocelyn PookComposer, pianist, born 1960
- Jocelyn BrandoAmerican actress (1919–2005)
- Jocelyn QuivrinFrench actor (1979–2009)
- Jocelyn RaeBritish tennis player, born 1991
- Jocelyn DelecourFrench athlete, born 1935
- Jocelyn BlanchardFrench footballer, born 1972
- Jocelyn GourvennecFrench football manager (born 1972)
- Jocelyn BrownAmerican musician, born 1950
- Jocelyn BurdickAmerican politician (1922–2019)
- Jocelyn MoorhouseAustralian film director, born 1960
Questions
- What does the name Jocelyn mean?
- Jocelyn means “a geat”, “a goth”.
- How popular is the name Jocelyn?
- In 2025, 15 girls born in England and Wales were named Jocelyn, ranking 1,892nd. Its peak was 2005, with 71 births.
- What are nicknames for Jocelyn?
- Common nicknames for Jocelyn include Joss.
- Is Jocelyn a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 113,412 US babies named Jocelyn since 1880 were girls.
- When was Jocelyn most popular?
- 2007 in the United States, when 5,293 babies were named Jocelyn, its highest rank at 50th.
- How do you pronounce Jocelyn?
- Jocelyn is /ˈd͡ʒɒsəlɪn/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Jocelyn?
- Jocelin, Joselin, Joselyn, Joslyn, Joceline and Jocelyne.
- Is Jocelyn also a surname?
- Yes. Jocelyn is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.