Jocelyn
Girl name · #393 in 2025 · Distinctive
Jocelyn ranks #393 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 788 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #133, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,284 girls born in 2025 was named Jocelyn.
The 125-year story
Jocelyn first appears in the Social Security records in 1900, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2007, when 5,293 girls were named Jocelyn — good for #50 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Jocelyn per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Jocelyn against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Jocelyn in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Jocelyn is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Jocelyn is most common
Geography matters for names, and Jocelyn is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Jocelyn is most common in NV (1.5 per 1,000), OK (1.1 per 1,000), AR (1 per 1,000), AZ (0.9 per 1,000), CA (0.8 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Jocelyn is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Jocelyn
Statistically, parents drawn to Jocelyn tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jazlyn, Joselyn, Madalyn, Jordyn, and Jaslyn.
JazlynJoselynMadalynJordynJaslynMadilynAshlynKaitlyn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jocelyn | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 788 | #393 |
| 2024 | 813 | #389 |
| 2023 | 890 | #346 |
| 2022 | 1,017 | #315 |
| 2021 | 1,093 | #292 |
| 2020 | 1,147 | #269 |
| 2019 | 1,520 | #200 |
| 2018 | 1,560 | #195 |
| 2017 | 1,843 | #163 |
| 2016 | 2,105 | #147 |
| 2015 | 2,453 | #133 |
| 2014 | 2,764 | #115 |
| 2013 | 3,152 | #99 |
| 2012 | 3,232 | #93 |
| 2011 | 3,731 | #71 |
| 2010 | 3,997 | #65 |
| 2009 | 4,118 | #71 |
| 2008 | 4,372 | #67 |
| 2007 | 5,293 | #50 |
| 2006 | 4,370 | #73 |
| 2005 | 3,681 | #87 |
| 2004 | 3,743 | #85 |
| 2003 | 3,718 | #87 |
| 2002 | 3,521 | #92 |
| 2001 | 2,827 | #123 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Jocelyn a popular girl name?
Jocelyn ranked #393 among girls in 2025 with 788 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #133.
When was the name Jocelyn most popular?
Jocelyn peaked in 2007, when 5,293 American girls received the name (ranked #50 that year). Since 2007 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Jocelyn?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,284 newborn American girls was named Jocelyn. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.