Find out how popular the last name Joslin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Joslin.

Joslin, 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 Joslin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Joslin in America

Joslin is the 5094th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Joslin surname appeared 6,868 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Joslin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Joslin 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.

The history of the last name Joslin

The surname JOSLIN has its origins in England, first emerging in the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French personal name "Joscelin" or "Goscelin," which itself comes from the Germanic elements "gos" meaning "goose" and "lind" meaning "tender" or "soft."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1199, where a Robert Joscelin is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1230 also reference a William Joscelin. These early records suggest the name was concentrated in the eastern regions of England during the Middle Ages.

The JOSLIN surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Joslin's Grove in Oxfordshire and Joslin's Farm in Warwickshire. These locations likely took their names from early bearers of the surname, indicating their presence in those areas.

Notably, the JOSLIN name appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants in England after the Norman Conquest. This inclusion underscores the surname's long history in the country.

Among notable individuals with the JOSLIN surname throughout history are:

1. John Joslin (c. 1615-1675), an early settler in New England who arrived in Boston in 1635 and later helped establish the town of Scituate, Massachusetts.

2. Benjamin Joslin (1692-1772), an American colonial soldier who fought in the French and Indian War and served as a captain in the Massachusetts militia.

3. Mary Joslin (1827-1914), an American educator and activist who co-founded the Hartford Female Seminary in Connecticut and advocated for women's rights and education.

4. Thomas Joslin (1836-1916), an English-born American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, one of the world's leading institutions for diabetes research and treatment.

5. Alice Joslin (1875-1966), an American painter and illustrator known for her portraiture and landscapes, particularly her works depicting scenes from New England.

While the JOSLIN surname has roots in England dating back to the 12th century, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and the establishment of new settlements by early bearers of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Joslin

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Joslin.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Joslin was:

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 Joslin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Joslin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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