Josselin
A masculine French name derived from the Germanic words "gūdi" and "saliþa," meaning "riches" and "happiness."
Name Census estimates that about 840 living Americans carry the first name Josselin. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Josselin today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Josselin births was 2007 (64 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Josselin. 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.
People living today
840
~ 1 in 408,041 Americans
Peak year
2007
64 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,479
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Josselin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Josselin from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 402 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Josselin 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 Josselin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Josselins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Josselin, while New Jersey, Georgia, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 54 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Josselin
The name Josselin originated in the Breton language, which is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany, a cultural region in the northwest of France. It dates back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century.
The name Josselin is derived from the Breton words "iouanc" meaning "young" and "lin" meaning "linen," suggesting a connection to the linen trade or textile industry that was prevalent in the region during that time period. Alternate spellings of the name include Joscelin, Jocelin, and Goscelin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Josselin can be found in the chronicles of the Abbey of Saint-Évroult in Normandy, where a monk named Josselin is mentioned in the late 11th century. In the 12th century, a Cistercian monk named Josselin de Vierzy wrote a treatise on the life of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a renowned French abbot and reformer.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Josselin. One of the most famous was Josselin de Courtenay (1169-1237), a French nobleman who served as the Count of Edessa and later as the Latin Emperor of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade.
Another prominent figure was Josselin de Rohan (1633-1712), a French nobleman and military leader who served as the Marshal of France and played a significant role in the War of the Spanish Succession.
In the literary world, Josselin Gower (1620-1678) was an English writer and poet who is best known for his work "Confessio Amantis," a lengthy Middle English poem dedicated to King Richard II.
Josselin de Vitre (1185-1242) was a French clergyman and historian who served as the Bishop of Soissons and wrote a chronicle of the events of his time, providing valuable insights into the history of medieval France.
Lastly, Josselin de Villenoir (1190-1274) was a French architect and engineer who is credited with the design and construction of several notable Gothic cathedrals and churches in France, including the Cathedral of Reims and the Abbey Church of Saint-Ouen in Rouen.
People
Josselin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Josselin 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
Josselin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Josselin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 840 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Josselin 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 408,041 US residents.
Is Josselin a common name?
We classify Josselin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 852 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Josselin most popular?
The single biggest year for Josselin was 2007, when 64 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Josselin is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Josselin a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Josselin 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.
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.