Jocelyn goes back to the Norman name Goscelin or Josselin, derived from the Germanic tribal name of the Gauts, so it means "member of the Gauts" and was originally a men's name. In the 20th century it became feminine, helped by its resemblance to Joyce and Lynn. In the United States Jocelyn rose into the top 100 in 2002, peaked at number 50 in 2007 and has slid steadily to number 393 in 2025.