Jocelyn
From the Middle English male given name from Old French Joscelin, German Gautzelin, diminutive of names beginning with the tribal name Gaut (“a Geat, a Goth”), the root…
Every Jocelyn since 1900 — 113,412 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Jocelyn
Jocelyn is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #393 in 2025 with 788 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1900, 113,412 American babies have been named Jocelyn. Its peak came in 2007, when 5,304 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2000s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Jocelyn stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Jocelyn year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 788 | #393 | — | — |
| 2024 | 813 | #389 | — | — |
| 2023 | 890 | #346 | — | — |
| 2022 | 1,017 | #315 | — | — |
| 2021 | 1,093 | #293 | — | — |
| 2020 | 1,147 | #269 | — | — |
| 2019 | 1,520 | #200 | — | — |
| 2018 | 1,560 | #196 | — | — |
| 2017 | 1,843 | #163 | — | — |
| 2016 | 2,105 | #147 | 6 | #11,370 |
| 2015 | 2,453 | #133 | — | — |
| 2014 | 2,764 | #115 | — | — |
| 2013 | 3,152 | #99 | — | — |
| 2012 | 3,232 | #93 | 5 | #13,159 |
| 2011 | 3,731 | #71 | — | — |
| 2010 | 3,997 | #65 | — | — |
| 2009 | 4,118 | #71 | 10 | #7,980 |
| 2008 | 4,372 | #67 | 8 | #9,398 |
| 2007 | 5,293 | #50 | 11 | #7,329 |
| 2006 | 4,370 | #73 | 6 | #11,287 |
| 2005 | 3,681 | #87 | 16 | #5,150 |
| 2004 | 3,743 | #85 | 16 | #5,117 |
| 2003 | 3,718 | #87 | 6 | #10,181 |
| 2002 | 3,521 | #92 | 6 | #9,984 |
| 2001 | 2,827 | #123 | 6 | #9,857 |
| 2000 | 2,746 | #122 | 10 | #6,557 |
| 1995 | 2,193 | #148 | 13 | #4,648 |
| 1990 | 1,318 | #217 | 8 | #6,103 |
| 1985 | 869 | #287 | 10 | #4,196 |
| 1980 | 761 | #318 | 5 | #6,717 |
| 1975 | 400 | #468 | 5 | #5,868 |
| 1970 | 413 | #484 | — | — |
| 1965 | 292 | #557 | — | — |
| 1960 | 228 | #674 | — | — |
| 1955 | 383 | #463 | — | — |
| 1950 | 136 | #739 | — | — |
| 1945 | 72 | #890 | — | — |
| 1940 | 56 | #961 | — | — |
| 1935 | 51 | #968 | — | — |
| 1930 | 67 | #887 | — | — |
| 1925 | 48 | #1,112 | — | — |
| 1920 | 25 | #1,680 | — | — |
| 1915 | 11 | #2,616 | — | — |
| 1910 | 5 | #2,592 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | 6 | #1,829 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Jocelyn
- Jocelyn Bell Burnell Astronomer · b. 1943
- Jocelyn Angloma Soccer player · b. 1965
- Jocelyn Brando Actor · 1919–2005
- Jocelyn Pook Composer · b. 1960
- Jocelyn Quivrin Actor · 1979–2009
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Jocelyn mean?
From the Middle English male given name from Old French Joscelin, German Gautzelin, diminutive of names beginning with the tribal name Gaut (“a Geat, a Goth”), the root form of which probably comes from Proto-Germanic…
How popular is the name Jocelyn in 2025?
Jocelyn ranked #393 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 788 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Jocelyn?
113,412 babies have been named Jocelyn in the United States since 1900, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Jocelyn most popular?
Jocelyn peaked in 2007, when 5,304 newborns received the name.
Is Jocelyn a boy or girl name?
Jocelyn is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Jocelyn rising or falling?
Jocelyn is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Jocelyn?
Well-known people named Jocelyn include Jocelyn Bell Burnell (astronomer), Jocelyn Angloma (soccer player), Jocelyn Brando (actor).