Josselin
Josselin was the 12491st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 2007, when it ranked 2839th with 64 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 6,360 places. More babies were named Josselin in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Jocelyn) Origin uncertain · Germanic, French
- Rank in 2025
- #12,491 girls, down 3,275 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200764 babies
- Total since 1880
- 859babies recorded
What does the name Josselin mean?
Josselin 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
Josselin popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,491 | 7 |
| 2020 | #9,216 | 11 |
| 2010 | #3,661 | 43 |
| 2000 | #5,226 | 22 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Josselin, counting every spelling?
Josselin is a spelling of Jocelyn, a name family that ranked #281 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #12,491 for Josselin 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 Josselin?
7 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Josselin (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Josselin 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 1,224 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Josselin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Josselin?
About 900 people born in the US named Josselin are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 13 and 23. That makes Josselin 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.
Josselin by state
How common Josselin was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 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 Josselin: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Josselin, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Josselin
What does Josselin mean?
The origin of Jocelyn is uncertain: two medieval sources (Gaut names and Josse) are both possible.
How popular is the name Josselin?
Josselin was the 12491st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 2007, when it ranked 2839th with 64 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 6,360 places. More babies were named Josselin in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Josselin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Josselin in the US.
Where is Josselin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Josselin was most common in California (0.01 per 1,000 girls).