Joyce
Joyce is an Irish and French given name and surname. It is derived from the Old French masculine name Josse, which derived from the Latin name Iudocus, the Latinized form of the Breton name Judoc meaning "lord". The name became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a female given name, which derived from the Middle English joise meaning "rejoice".
Meaning & Origin of Joyce
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Joyce is an Irish and French given name and surname. It is derived from the Old French masculine name Josse, which derived from the Latin name Iudocus, the Latinized form of the Breton name Judoc meaning "lord". The name became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a female given name, which derived from the Middle English joise meaning "rejoice".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Joyce
Joyce first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1882, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1942, when 16,728 Joyces were born — ranking #13 that year. As of 2026, Joyce ranks #1,061 for baby girls with 234 births, gradually falling (-15%). In total, more than 510K Joyces have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Joyce
Phonetically similar names — useful when Joyce 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 Joyce
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About the name Joyce
Joyce is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 510K births in the dataset. Joyce's peak popularity came in 1942 when it ranked #11. Use the chart and map above to compare Joyce's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1942 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- 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.