Jocasta
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "glory of the father".
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Jocasta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jocasta today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jocasta births was 1956 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jocasta. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Jocasta with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jocasta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1956
5 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1979 SSA rank
#10,865
Tracked since 1956
Popularity
Jocasta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jocasta from the 1950s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jocasta by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jocasta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jocasta
The name Jocasta originates from ancient Greek mythology and literature. It is derived from the Greek words "iocastos" meaning "violet-tinted" and "castor" referring to the semi-precious gemstone. The name is believed to have first appeared in the 5th century BC in Sophocles' famous tragedy Oedipus Rex.
In Greek mythology, Jocasta was an ill-fated queen of Thebes who unwittingly married her own son, Oedipus. The story of their incestuous union and the tragic consequences that followed has become a classic in Western literature, explored by numerous writers and playwrights over the centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jocasta can be found in Sophocles' play, where she is portrayed as a strong-willed and passionate woman who ultimately takes her own life after discovering the truth about her relationship with Oedipus. The name has since become associated with tragic heroines and complex female characters in literature and art.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Jocasta. One of the earliest was Jocasta of Sicily, a Greek noblewoman who lived in the 5th century BC and was known for her intelligence and political influence.
Another prominent Jocasta was Jocasta Innes (1934-2013), a British writer and journalist who penned several novels and non-fiction works, including biographies of notable figures like Lord Byron and Mary Shelley.
In the realm of entertainment, Jocasta Almgill (1936-2019) was a British actress known for her roles in various television series and films, including the classic sitcom "One Foot in the Grave."
More recently, Jocasta Nu was a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, a Jedi archivist who appeared in the prequel films and animated series, offering a modern interpretation of the name.
While not as common as some other names, Jocasta has maintained a presence throughout history, often associated with strong, complex female characters and drawing inspiration from its mythological roots.
People
Jocasta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jocasta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jocasta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jocasta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jocasta going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Jocasta a common name?
We classify Jocasta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jocasta most popular?
The single biggest year for Jocasta was 1956, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jocasta is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jocasta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jocasta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jocasta in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jocasta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jocasta in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jocasta can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Jocasta?
You can see how many Americans are named Jocasta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.