At a Glance: Name: Jocelyn – Meaning: descendant/kinsman of the Goths (from the tribal name Gaut) – Origin: Germanic (via Old French/Middle English) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: JAHS-lin
Jocelyn is a Germanic (via Old French/Middle English) girl's name meaning “descendant/kinsman of the Goths (from the tribal name Gaut)”. It appears in 2 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Jocelyn
Meaning: Descendant/kinsman of the Goths (from the tribal name Gaut).
Origin: Germanic (via Old French/Middle English).
A common claim: Often glossed on baby-name sites as meaning 'joyous'/'happy,' or as a feminine form of Joseph/José Actually: Neither is accurate — Jocelyn actually derives from the Germanic tribal name Gaut (Goths/Geats), not from 'joy' or from Joseph; the José connection is a coincidental folk etymology, not the true root.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Jocelyn
Phonetic: JAHS-lin IPA: /ˈdʒɑːslɪn/
Popularity of Jocelyn
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1900–2024.
Lists That Include Jocelyn
Similar Names
Jennings · Jud · Ingram · Casimir · Jabesh · Jenkin
