Joslyn
Joslyn was the 2732nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 2011, when it ranked 637th; the most babies were born in 2010 (461). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,862 places. More babies were named Joslyn in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Jocelyn) Origin uncertain · Germanic, French
- Rank in 2025
- #2,732 girls, down 1,460 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 63girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2010461 babies
- Total since 1880
- 11,255babies recorded
What does the name Joslyn mean?
Joslyn is a spelling of Jocelyn, pronounced the same way, so it shares Jocelyn's meaning and origin.
Jocelyn began as a medieval boy's name. Wiktionary traces it to Old French Joscelin, a diminutive of Germanic names beginning with Gaut, the tribal name of the Geats or Goths, and notes it was also used as a pet form of the Breton saint's name Josse (Judoc), which DMNES gives as the source of Joyce. It survived as a surname and returned as a girl's name. Its link with José is a folk etymology.
Gaut (Germanic, “tribal name (Geats/Goths)”)Judoc (Breton, “saint's name (Josse)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two medieval sources (Gaut names and Josse) are both possible.
Other explanations you may read: feminine diminutive of José.
Related names: Joscelin, Joslyn, Joselyn, Joyce.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jocelyn', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joyce', DMNES, Durham University
Joslyn popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 28 since 1976.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,732 | 63 |
| 2020 | #1,272 | 176 |
| 2010 | #641 | 461 |
| 2000 | #1,123 | 182 |
| 1990 | #1,141 | 151 |
| 1980 | #1,463 | 83 |
| 1970 | #2,373 | 32 |
| 1960 | #2,473 | 24 |
| 1950 | #1,885 | 26 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | #4,890 | 5 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Joslyn, counting every spelling?
Joslyn is a spelling of Jocelyn, a name family that ranked #281 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,732 for Joslyn on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,195 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jocelyn | 788 | #393 | 4,601 |
| Joselyn | 142 | #1,504 | 905 |
| Joslyn | 63 | #2,732 | 531 |
| Jocelynn | 85 | #2,178 | 450 |
| Joseline | 32 | #4,402 | 170 |
| Joselin | 22 | #5,630 | 161 |
| Joselynn | 15 | #7,288 | 96 |
| Josselin | 7 | #12,491 | 63 |
| Jocelyne | 11 | #9,136 | 58 |
| Jocelin | 8 | #11,364 | 38 |
| Josseline | 12 | #8,592 | 33 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Joslyn?
63 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Joslyn (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Joslyn born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 133 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Joslyn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Joslyn?
About 10,900 people born in the US named Joslyn are alive today, with a median age of 20; half are between 13 and 31. That makes Joslyn mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Joslyn by state
How common Joslyn was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (2.6×). In 36 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Joslyn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Joslyn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Joslyn
What does Joslyn mean?
The origin of Jocelyn is uncertain: two medieval sources (Gaut names and Josse) are both possible.
How popular is the name Joslyn?
Joslyn was the 2732nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 2011, when it ranked 637th; the most babies were born in 2010 (461). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,862 places. More babies were named Joslyn in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Joslyn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Joslyn in the US.
Where is Joslyn most popular?
In 2021–2025, Joslyn was most common in Nebraska (0.36 per 1,000 girls), followed by Michigan and Idaho.