US Popularity Rank: 5287

Origin: German

Meaning: A member of the German tribe, the Gauts; Gautzelin

Josselyn is a feminine name of largely French origin entrenched in history and legend. In its original form of Jocelyn, Josselyn first came to be during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. Emerging from the Old French Joscelin, the name referred to members of the ancient Germanic tribe that dwelled in southwest Sweden, ascribed as "the Gautzelin." Sometimes called the Geats, they are said to be the very people from which the titular character of the epic poem Beowulf hails. Talk about setting the bar for bedtime stories.