Joyce
Joyce was the 1074th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 226 babies. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1942 (16,728). Over the last ten years it has moved down 230 places. More babies were named Joyce in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning lord (Breton, via Josse) · English, Old French, Breton
Say it JOYSS /dʒɔɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,074 girls, down 97 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 226girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194216,728 babies
- Total since 1880
- 512,232babies recorded
What does the name Joyce mean?
Joyce was a medieval English name taken from Old French Josse, the name of a 7th-century Breton saint, Latinized as Iodocus, as Wiktionary notes; DMNES treats the women's name as the Latin feminine Jodoca. The saint's name comes from Breton iudh 'lord'. Wiktionary notes it was associated by folk etymology with joy and rejoice. It was used for men in the Middle Ages and became a girls' name in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Iodoc (Breton, “diminutive of iudh”)iudh (Old Breton, “lord”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Other explanations you may read: From 'joy' or 'rejoice'.
Related names: Josse, Jodocus, Joy.
See also: Celtic names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joyce', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Joyce', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Joyce popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,900 since 1900, 7 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,074 | 226 |
| 2020 | #977 | 261 |
| 2010 | #877 | 303 |
| 2000 | #668 | 362 |
| 1990 | #479 | 512 |
| 1980 | #330 | 731 |
| 1970 | #164 | 2,030 |
| 1960 | #58 | 7,757 |
| 1950 | #27 | 13,415 |
| 1940 | #13 | 14,801 |
| 1930 | #18 | 9,658 |
| 1920 | #153 | 1,523 |
| 1910 | #338 | 135 |
| 1900 | #435 | 59 |
| 1890 | #657 | 17 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Joyce, counting every spelling?
Joyce has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,031 for girls in 2025, against #1,074 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Joyce?
226 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Joyce (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Joyce 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 37 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Joyce.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Joyce?
About 269,700 people born in the US named Joyce are alive today, with a median age of 74; half are between 66 and 81. That makes Joyce a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Joyce by state
How common Joyce was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Kentucky (2.2×), New York (1.9×), New Jersey (1.6×). In 24 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 Joyce: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Joyce, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Joyce · Sibling names for Joyce
Questions about the name Joyce
What does Joyce mean?
Joyce means “lord (Breton, via Josse)” (English, Old French, Breton origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Joyce?
Joyce was the 1074th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 226 babies. Its best year was 1937, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1942 (16,728). Over the last ten years it has moved down 230 places. More babies were named Joyce in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Joyce a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Joyce in the US.
Where is Joyce most popular?
In 2021–2025, Joyce was most common in Kentucky (0.34 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Iowa.