Find out how popular the last name Jocelyn is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jocelyn.
A French surname derived from the Latin word jocundus, meaning "merry" or "cheerful."
Jocelyn, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jocelyn surname is from the 2010 census data.
Jocelyn is the 34427th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Jocelyn surname appeared 658 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Jocelyn.
We can also compare 2010 data for Jocelyn to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 34427 | 40265 | -15.63% |
| Count | 658 | 512 | 24.96% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.22 | 0.19 | 14.63% |
The surname JOCELYN is of Norman origin and derives from the French place name Josselin in Brittany. It likely entered England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 when many Norman names were introduced to Britain. Some sources suggest it may be a diminutive of the Germanic personal name Gauselin, but its exact etymology is uncertain.
The earliest recorded example of the JOCELYN surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, referring to a Norman knight named Gilbert Josceline who held lands in Gloucestershire. The name is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1166, referring to Ralph Josceline.
In the 12th century, a famous bearer of the name was John Jocelyn (c.1182-1239), Lord of Sempringham and founder of the Gilbertine monastic order. Another notable historical figure was Sir Thomas Jocelyn (1350-1412), a military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was appointed Constable of Framlingham Castle.
During the 16th century, Sir Ralph Jocelyn (d.1587) was a member of Parliament and held the manor of Hyde Hall in Hertfordshire. His grandson, Robert Jocelyn (1588-1661), was also an MP and supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
In later centuries, notable bearers include Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Viscount Jocelyn (1688-1756), an Irish peer and politician, and Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden (1788-1870), a British diplomat and politician who served as Master of the Mint.
Another distinguished individual was Sir Robert Jocelyn, 8th Baronet (1854-1924), a British Army officer who fought in the Second Boer War and later became Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. Other bearers of note include the English cricketer Philip Jocelyn (1892-1975) and American artist John Wolcott Adams Jocelyn (1815-1892).
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jocelyn.
The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jocelyn was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 40.58% | 267 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 48.78% | 321 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.76% | 5 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.82% | 12 |
| Hispanic Origin | 8.05% | 53 |
Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.
Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jocelyn has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 40.58% | 46.88% | -14.41% |
| Black | 48.78% | 39.26% | 21.63% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.76% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 1.82% | 5.08% | -94.49% |
| Hispanic | 8.05% | 7.23% | 10.73% |
The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.
The history and meaning of the name Jocelyn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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