Joss
Joss is a given name and surname.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Joss
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Joss is a given name and surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Joss
As a girl name
American parents first put Joss on the record books as a girl name in 2005, with 17 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2006, when 20 Josss were born — ranking #6,355 that year. About 53% of every Joss on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Joss last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 250 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Joss first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1977, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2020: 27 births, good for #3,809 nationwide. About 34% of every Joss on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Joss ranks #7,345 for boys with 9 births, falling sharply (-35%). All told, over 448 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Joss
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Joss. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Joss
Phonetically similar names — useful when Joss is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Joss
What does the name Joss mean?
What is the origin of the name Joss?
How popular is Joss in 2026?
When was Joss most popular?
In which U.S. states is Joss most popular?
Is Joss a unisex name?
What names go well with Joss?
What are nicknames or variants of Joss?
About the name Joss
Joss is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1977 and has accumulated 448 births in the dataset. Joss's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #3,809. Use the chart and map above to compare Joss's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2020 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.