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.
- Greek Mythology
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 →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Greek Mythology
The Story of Jocasta
The earliest SSA record of Jocasta as a baby girl name dates back to 1956, when 5 babies received it. 1956 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Jocasta — #5,953 in the national rankings. About 50% of every Jocasta on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Jocasta last appeared in the published SSA data in 1979, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 10 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jocasta
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jocasta. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Iocasta
- Iokaste
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.