US Popularity Rank: 718

Origin: German

Meaning: a member of the German tribe, the Gauts

Jocelyn, as a gender-neutral name, is of Old German origin meaning "a member of the German tribe, the Gauts." From an Old French masculine name brought to Britain by the Normans in the form of Joscelin—which was from Gautzelin. This form came as a pet name for a member of a Germanic tribe, the Gauts, who may have been the same as the Goths. Jocelyn was revived in the 19th century and adopted as a feminine name, perhaps because it could be associated with names like Joyce—which also derives from Josse—combined with the -lyn ending.