Jocelyn first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Jocelyn has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Jocelyn

A feminine name of French origin meaning "little nun".

Popularity of Jocelyn by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Jocelyn is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Jocelyn being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 885 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Jocelyn.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 885
2022 0 1,008
2021 0 1,087
2020 0 1,145
2019 0 1,517
2018 0 1,559
2017 0 1,841
2016 6 2,104
2015 0 2,452
2014 0 2,763
2013 0 3,151
2012 5 3,231
2011 0 3,729
2010 0 3,994
2009 10 4,116
2008 8 4,370
2007 11 5,292
2006 6 4,370
2005 16 3,681
2004 16 3,743
2003 6 3,718
2002 6 3,522
2001 6 2,827
2000 10 2,744
1999 12 2,477
1998 12 2,581
1997 10 2,621
1996 9 2,509
1995 13 2,193
1994 11 2,058
1993 22 1,926
1992 16 1,842
1991 10 1,356
1990 8 1,317
1989 17 1,081
1988 15 1,104
1987 7 979
1986 7 851
1985 10 869
1984 6 869
1983 6 723
1982 11 741
1981 7 809
1980 5 761
1979 13 721
1978 7 827
1977 7 938
1976 0 424
1975 5 400
1974 0 389

The history of the first name Jocelyn

The name Jocelyn has its origins in the late ancient world, deriving from the Late Latin name Gaucelinus. This name was a diminutive form of the Germanic name Gaucelin, which itself came from the element "gawis" meaning "region" or "district." The earliest recorded spelling was Ioscelinus in the 11th century.

In medieval France, the name took on the spelling Joscelin or Josceline. It grew in popularity thanks to several noteworthy historical figures bearing the name. One of the earliest was Joscelin of Courtenay, a prince of Edessa who lived from around 1075 to 1131 and fought in the First Crusade. Another was Joscelin III, Count of Edessa, who ruled from 1119 to 1131.

Over time, the name evolved into its modern English form of Jocelyn. One of the earliest recorded examples of this spelling was Jocelyn de Brakelonde, who lived from around 1183 to 1211 and was a chronicler of the affairs of the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England.

In the 13th century, there was Jocelyn of Wells, an English prelate who served as Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1206 to 1242. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Jocelyn Percy, who lived from around 1311 to 1362 and was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War.

Jumping ahead several centuries, one of the most famous individuals named Jocelyn was the English Romantic poet Jocelyn Bell Burnell, born in 1943. As a graduate student in 1967, she co-discovered the first radio pulsars, which were initially dismissed as a routine discovery but later proved to be one of the greatest astronomical discoveries of the 20th century.

Throughout its long history, the name Jocelyn has maintained its connection to its noble and prestigious roots, though it has also been embraced more widely in modern times. Its unique sound and rich etymological background have made it a distinctive and appealing choice for parents over the centuries.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Jocelyn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jocelyn, please contact us.

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"Jocelyn first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 13, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/jocelyn-meaning-and-history/.

"Jocelyn first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/jocelyn-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 13 December, 2024

Jocelyn first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/jocelyn-meaning-and-history/.

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