# Jocelyn

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈd͡ʒɒsəlɪn/ · frequency rank #29,704

## Definitions
1. A male given name from the Germanic languages.
2. A surname originating as a patronymic.
3. A female given name from the Germanic languages.
4. A township in Ontario, Canada.

## Etymology
From the Middle English male given name from Old French Joscelin, German Gautzelin, diminutive of names beginning with the tribal name Gaut (“a Geat, a Goth”), the root form of which probably comes from Proto-Germanic *Gautalinþiz (from *gautaz + *linþaz); also used as a diminutive form of the Breton name Josse (= Joyce). It survived as a surname and was revived as a given name in the nineteenth century.
* Jocelyn is currently popular among U.S. Hispanics, and in the Philippines, by folk etymology explained as a feminine diminutive form of José (Joseph).

## Easily confused with
- **Jaclyn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jaclyn-vs-jocelyn)

## Common misspellings (11)
`jcoelyn`, `jjocelyn`, `joccelyn`, `jocellyn`, `jocelny`, `jocelynn`, `jocelyyn`, `joceyln`, `jocleyn`, `joeclyn`, `ojcelyn`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/jocelyn