Declining since 1996, #8,860 for girls today.
Popularity of Jocelyne since 1945
Babies named Jocelyne per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 22 |
| 1950s | 71 |
| 1960s | 56 |
| 1970s | 77 |
| 1980s | 175 |
| 1990s | 1,949 |
| 2000s | 1,226 |
| 2010s | 571 |
| 2020s | 81 |
Meaning & origin
Jocelyne is the French feminine spelling of Jocelyn, a name that has been in use in the U.S. since at least 1945. Its popularity peaked in 1996, but since then it has been steadily declining in use. In 2025, it ranked 8,860 with a 1-in-146,115 frequency, indicating it is quite rare. The trajectory shows falling usage since its 1996 peak. The French variant Jocelyne adds a touch of elegance compared to the more common Jocelyn, but remains uncommon. Top states for the name are not recorded in recent data, suggesting it is widely dispersed rather than regionally concentrated.
Jocelyne is the French feminine form of Jocelyn, introduced to England by the Normans. The name likely derives from the Old Germanic name Gaudelenus, from the element *gaut- meaning 'lord' or 'chieftain,' or possibly from the Celtic name Iudoc, meaning 'lord.' It has been used as both a masculine and feminine name historically, but is now predominantly female.
“Jocelyne” around the world
Where Jocelyne lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Jocelyn, Joss, Jocie, Lyn
Sibling names for Jocelyne
Names that share Jocelyne's style, for a brother or sister.
