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Name Lineage

    The first name Joyce

    A girl’s name meaning “lord”.

    Pronounced /d͡ʒɔɪs/ 1 syllable Female Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Joyce means “lord”.

    Medieval (Middle English) given name from Old French Josse, name of a seventh century saint Latinized as Iodocus, from Breton Iodoc, diminutive of iudh (“lord”), from Proto-Celtic *yowdos.

    More names that mean god.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 22 girls were named Joyce, making it the 1,407th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2011, with 46 births (#804).

    02550 1996200020052010201520202025
    804
    babies named Joyce, 1996–2025
    #1,407
    rank in 2025
    2011
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Joyce with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Joyce at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 226 girls born in the United States were named Joyce, the 1,074th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1942, when 16,728 were.

    010,00020,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    512,232
    babies named Joyce since 1880
    #1,074
    rank in 2025
    1942
    peak year

    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.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    • Choyce

    Famous people named Joyce

    65 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Joyce Banda
      4th President of Malawi, born 1950
    • Joyce Carol Oates
      American author (born 1938)
    • Joyce DiDonato
      American opera mezzo-soprano, born 1969
    • Joyce Jonathan
      French singer, born 1989
    • Joyce Meyer
      American author, born 1943
    • Joyce Cary
      Anglo-Irish writer (1888-1957)
    • Joyce Van Patten
      American actress, born 1934
    • Joyce Cooper
      British swimmer, Olympic silver medallist (1909–2002)
    • Joyce DeWitt
      American actress, born 1949
    • Joyce Brothers
      American psychologist and columnist (1927–2013)
    • Joyce King
      Australian sprinter (1920–2001)
    • Joyce Compton
      American film actress (1907-1997)

    Questions

    What does the name Joyce mean?
    Joyce means “lord”.
    How popular is the name Joyce?
    In 2025, 22 girls born in England and Wales were named Joyce, ranking 1,407th. Its peak was 2011, with 46 births.
    Is Joyce a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 512,232 US babies named Joyce since 1880 were girls.
    When was Joyce most popular?
    1942 in the United States, when 16,728 babies were named Joyce, its highest rank at 13th.
    How do you pronounce Joyce?
    Joyce is /d͡ʒɔɪs/, one syllable.
    What are other spellings of Joyce?
    Choyce.
    Is Joyce also a surname?
    Yes. Joyce is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.