Fun Facts About the Name Josilyn
- More than 1 thousand babies named Josilyn: U.S. records list 1,132 babies given the name Josilyn from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Josilyn Mean?
Josilyn is a feminine English spelling variant of Jocelyn, a name whose established meaning is "little Goth," from a Germanic source. Jocelyn derives from Old French Joscelin, a masculine name brought to England by the Normans, which goes back to a Germanic name such as Gautselin. That name is usually explained as a diminutive of Gaut, commonly connected with the Goths, with a diminutive suffix; some accounts instead connect Gaut with the Geats of Scandinavia, so the precise tribal reference is uncertain. The resemblance to Latin iocus "joke" or to the English word "joy" is a later association, not the source of the name.
Josilyn Name History & Origins
The name's medieval history is masculine. Old French Joscelin and the related Latinized Goscelin were used in Normandy and England after the Norman Conquest; Goscelin of Saint-Bertin, an 11th-century monk and hagiographer, is one documented bearer of the related form. In England the name also became a surname. The feminine given name Jocelyn is a later English development, established as a woman's name in the modern period. Josilyn is a later spelling within that feminine tradition: it uses the common English ending -lyn in place of the -elyn of Jocelyn. A family that treats it as a compound of Josie and Lynn would be giving it a separate modern explanation rather than continuing the older etymology.
How Popular is the Name Josilyn?
Josilyn has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2006. Its best rank was #2,613 in 2006.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #15,987 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #14,225 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #14,203 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #7,117 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2021 | #14,271 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #9,209 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #6,282 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #8,342 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #6,396 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2016 | #3,958 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2015 | #4,914 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2014 | #4,595 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2013 | #3,100 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 2012 | #3,748 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 2011 | #3,242 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 2010 | #2,770 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 2009 | #2,982 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 2008 | #3,548 | 46 | 0.0024% |
| 2007 | #2,767 | 66 | 0.0034% |
| 2006 | #2,613 | 69 | 0.0036% |
| 2005 | #2,886 | 57 | 0.0031% |
| 2004 | #3,529 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2003 | #3,384 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 2002 | #3,490 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 2001 | #4,615 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2000 | #5,059 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1999 | #4,137 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1998 | #4,292 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1997 | #6,628 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #4,110 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1995 | #7,758 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #4,911 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #5,313 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1992 | #6,821 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #6,767 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #7,549 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1989 | #8,339 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #8,745 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #9,220 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #8,953 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #8,720 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #6,960 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #11,110 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #11,075 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #7,884 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #9,908 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #6,176 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Josilyn Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Josilyn's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Josilyn's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.