Josselyn
A feminine name of French origin meaning "smooth" or "flat".
Name Census estimates that about 3,256 living Americans carry the first name Josselyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Josselyn today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Josselyn births was 2007 (257 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Josselyn. 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
3.3K
~ 1 in 105,269 Americans
Peak year
2007
257 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,237
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Josselyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Josselyn from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 1,303 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
Josselyn 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 Josselyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Josselyns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 21 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Josselyn, while Pennsylvania, Nevada, Nebraska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 90 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Josselyn
The name Josselyn has its origins in the French language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a variant of the Old French name Joscelin, which itself is derived from the Germanic name Gauscelinus or Goscelinus, formed from the elements "gaus" meaning "spear" and "lind" meaning "serpent".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Josselyn can be found in the 12th century, when it was borne by Josselin de Courtenay, a French nobleman and one of the leaders of the Third Crusade. Another notable bearer of the name was Josselin de Vierzy, a French trouvère and poet from the 13th century.
In England, the name gained popularity during the Middle Ages and was sometimes anglicized as Jocelyn or Joselyn. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in England was Josselyn de Brakenburg, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Josselyn. One of the most famous was Josselyn Percy (1305-1352), an English nobleman and military commander who played a prominent role in the Wars of Scottish Independence. Another notable bearer of the name was Josselyn Leventhorpe (c. 1470-1509), an English courtier and member of the Privy Council during the reign of Henry VII.
In the 17th century, the name Josselyn was borne by Josselyn Twisleton (c. 1615-1677), an English politician and member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another notable bearer of the name from this period was Josselyn Bodley (c. 1630-1674), an English diplomat and traveler who wrote extensively about his travels in the Middle East.
The name Josselyn also has a rich literary history, with several authors and poets bearing the name. One of the most notable was Josselyn Fenton (1628-1690), an English poet and playwright who was a member of the Twickenham circle of poets. Another literary figure with the name was Josselyn Phillipps (1798-1879), an English novelist and travel writer.
While the name Josselyn has its roots in French and Germanic origins, it has been adopted and borne by individuals from various cultures and backgrounds throughout history, making it a truly global name with a rich and diverse heritage.
People
Josselyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Josselyn 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
Josselyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Josselyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,256 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Josselyn 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 105,269 US residents.
Is Josselyn a common name?
We classify Josselyn as "Rare". It ranks above 95.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,306 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Josselyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Josselyn was 2007, when 257 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Josselyn is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Josselyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Josselyn 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.