Jocasta
In Greek mythology, Jocasta, also rendered as Iocaste and Epicaste, was Queen of Thebes through her marriages to Laius and her son, Oedipus. She is best known for her role in the myths surrounding Oedipus and her eventual suicide upon the discovery of his identity.
Meaning & Origin of Jocasta
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
In Greek mythology, Jocasta, also rendered as Iocaste and Epicaste, was Queen of Thebes through her marriages to Laius and her son, Oedipus. She is best known for her role in the myths surrounding Oedipus and her eventual suicide upon the discovery of his identity.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Jocasta
Jocasta first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1956, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1956, when 5 Jocastas were born — ranking #5,953 that year. As of 2026, Jocasta ranks #10,208 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 10 Jocastas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Jocasta
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jocasta is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Yukata
- Yokota
- Locusta
- Jocosity
- Kolkata
- Acosta
- Yakuza
- Jocose
- Usda
- Yakusa
- Yukawa
- Yokosuka
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jocasta
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About the name Jocasta
Jocasta is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 10 births in the dataset. Jocasta's peak popularity came in 1956 when it ranked #5,953. Use the chart and map above to compare Jocasta's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1956 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.