How to say it
JOC · e · lyn
/ˈdʒɒs.lɪn/
Feminine
Jocelyn
Member of the Gauts
What it means
Germanic, from a tribal name (the Gauts), arriving through the Old French Josce; once male, now feminine.
Jocelyn began as a Germanic name tied to the Gauts, an ancient tribe, and came into England through the Norman Old French Josce. For centuries it was a man's name; over time it crossed firmly to the feminine side. It reads soft and a little vintage, with the shorts Joss, Joce, and Lyn. Joslyn and Jocelyne are the variant spellings.
Popularity over time
peaked at #50 in 2007, currently #393 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Joss and Joce are the shorts.
- Spelling
Began as a male name; Joslyn is the streamlined variant.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Jocelyn Bell Burnell astrophysicist who discovered the first radio pulsars
Spelling variants
- Joscelin
- Jocelyne
- Joslyn