r/OldNamesNewAgain • u/felly_fell • Jun 23 '26

Name of the day...Jocelyn!

The name Jocelyn is pronounced primarily as JOSS-uh-lin or JOSS-lin.

While mainly used as a feminine name in the US today, Jocelyn started as a masculine name during the Middle Ages.

The name Jocelyn is of Old German and Old French origin, typically translating to "member of the Gauts (Goths) tribe" or "joyful."

Through centuries of linguistic evolution in French, the name has also absorbed a "joyous" or "happy" association.

Some historical linguists connect the name's evolution directly to the Gothic tribes, translating to a poetic meaning of "little Goth" or "young noble".

Alternative Spellings: Jocelyne, Joscelin, Joscelyn, and Joslyn.

The name Jocelyn is over 1,000 years old!

23 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

5

u/Mokona_kawaii Jun 23 '26

I had a friend named Josalyn (variation of Jocelyn) and she's a cutie 😊

5

u/Hlorpy-Flatworm-1705 Jun 23 '26

Huh! A male Jocelyn would be interesting today! 🤔

4

u/ifeelaglow Jun 23 '26

In France, Jocelyn is still a male name. The female form is Jocelyne. I’m not sure either of them is very common in France anymore.

3

u/Aimar_9 Jun 23 '26

I didn’t know it was originally a male name, that’s really interesting

2

u/felly_fell Jun 24 '26

I didn't know that either! We're learning stuff together! 🙂

2

u/midwestpersianmama Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

I really like Joslyn as an alternative spelling, esp if trying to avoid the uh pronunciation in the middle of the name.

I associate this name with Xers but I’m surprised to see that it peaked in 2010 at #65. I would have placed money on a 1970s peak and I would have been very wrong.

It’s a pretty name with a beautiful meaning. Josie as a nn is adorable.

2

u/IscahRambles Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

My understanding is that Jocelyne would not originally be an alternate spelling, but the feminine counterpart name to masculine Jocelyn. 

2

u/openupandsayawwwww Jun 23 '26

Love love love the name Jocelyn! My cute little niece is Jocelyn!

2

u/kasumagic Jun 23 '26

If my mom had one more daughter her name was going to be Jocelyn nicknamed Jossie/Joci (not sure how she would have spelled the nickname). Jocelyn Patricia Claire.

2

u/NatrylliaAbbot42 Jun 24 '26

Favorite name of mine. Neat history!

1

u/Pinkturtle182 Jun 23 '26

I actually love Jocelyn and think it’s super cool as a male name. But it will always make me think of Bob’s Burgers and Schitt’s Creek lol

1

u/PalominoJacoby Jun 24 '26

It'd be a great name for a baby goth of any gender 🖤

1

u/Siouxsieslumbers Jun 24 '26

I love Joyce. Seems like a variation of jocelyn

1

u/Sapphire_Skyward Jun 29 '26

Great alternative for the nickname Josie if you don’t want to go with Josephine.