NameCensus.

UK surname

Jocelyn

A French surname derived from the Latin word jocundus, meaning "merry" or "cheerful."

In the 1881 census there were 93 people recorded with the Jocelyn surname, ranking it #20,593 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 174, ranked #21,466, down from #20,593 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cheshunt St Mary, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wycombe, South Gloucestershire and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jocelyn is 192 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.1%.

1881 census count

93

Ranked #20,593

Modern count

174

2016, ranked #21,466

Peak year

2002

192 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jocelyn had 93 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,593 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 174 in 2016, ranked #21,466.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 161 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Jocelyn surname distribution map

The map shows where the Jocelyn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Jocelyn surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jocelyn over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 38 #26,502
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 93 #20,593
1891 historical 116 #21,766
1901 historical 161 #17,324
1911 historical 159 #17,219
1997 modern 173 #19,295
1998 modern 191 #18,624
1999 modern 186 #19,073
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 188 #18,652
2002 modern 192 #18,767
2003 modern 192 #18,568
2004 modern 174 #19,871
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 168 #20,368
2007 modern 168 #20,634
2008 modern 174 #20,385
2009 modern 175 #20,707
2010 modern 180 #20,812
2011 modern 171 #21,337
2012 modern 170 #21,379
2013 modern 176 #21,237
2014 modern 185 #20,739
2015 modern 179 #21,069
2016 modern 174 #21,466

Geography

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Where Jocelyns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cheshunt St Mary, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Newchurch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wycombe, South Gloucestershire, Peterborough, West Kilbride and Seamill and Neath Port Talbot. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Cheshunt St Mary Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Newchurch Hampshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wycombe 016 Wycombe
2 South Gloucestershire 017 South Gloucestershire
3 Peterborough 021 Peterborough
4 West Kilbride and Seamill North Ayrshire
5 Neath Port Talbot 002 Neath Port Talbot

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jocelyn

These lists show first names that appear often with the Jocelyn surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jocelyn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jocelyn, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Jocelyn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Jocelyn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Jocelyn is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jocelyn is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jocelyn falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jocelyn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Jocelyn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jocelyn

The surname JOCELYN is of Norman origin and derives from the French place name Josselin in Brittany. It likely entered England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 when many Norman names were introduced to Britain. Some sources suggest it may be a diminutive of the Germanic personal name Gauselin, but its exact etymology is uncertain.

The earliest recorded example of the JOCELYN surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, referring to a Norman knight named Gilbert Josceline who held lands in Gloucestershire. The name is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1166, referring to Ralph Josceline.

In the 12th century, a famous bearer of the name was John Jocelyn (c.1182-1239), Lord of Sempringham and founder of the Gilbertine monastic order. Another notable historical figure was Sir Thomas Jocelyn (1350-1412), a military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was appointed Constable of Framlingham Castle.

During the 16th century, Sir Ralph Jocelyn (d.1587) was a member of Parliament and held the manor of Hyde Hall in Hertfordshire. His grandson, Robert Jocelyn (1588-1661), was also an MP and supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

In later centuries, notable bearers include Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Viscount Jocelyn (1688-1756), an Irish peer and politician, and Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden (1788-1870), a British diplomat and politician who served as Master of the Mint.

Another distinguished individual was Sir Robert Jocelyn, 8th Baronet (1854-1924), a British Army officer who fought in the Second Boer War and later became Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. Other bearers of note include the English cricketer Philip Jocelyn (1892-1975) and American artist John Wolcott Adams Jocelyn (1815-1892).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jocelyn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jocelyn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Hampshire leads with 20 Jocelyns recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.90x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 20 9.90x
Middlesex 17 1.73x
Essex 16 8.23x
Surrey 12 2.50x
Devon 10 4.88x
Channel Islands 7 23.98x
Cheshire 7 3.22x
Hertfordshire 7 10.31x
Gloucestershire 2 1.04x
Yorkshire 2 0.20x
Suffolk 1 0.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 16 Jocelyns recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.43x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 16 40.43x
Great Hallingbury 9 4285.71x
St Helier 7 73.68x
Kensington London 6 10.95x
Lambeth 6 6.99x
Liscard 5 127.55x
Little Hallingbury 5 2500.00x
Westminster St John 5 41.67x
Brixham 4 168.07x
Little Munden 4 2500.00x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 20.18x
Plymouth Charles The 3 33.22x
Whippingham 3 196.08x
Bristol St Paul In 2 38.84x
Tawstock 2 555.56x
West Ham 2 4.66x
Bishop Stortford 1 44.05x
Bromley London 1 4.61x
Chelsea London 1 3.37x
Croydon 1 3.75x
Exeter St David 1 57.14x
Gorleston 1 32.79x
Great Amwell 1 147.06x
Hanwell 1 57.14x
Horsforth 1 46.73x
Mere 1 588.24x
Newington 1 2.75x
Portsmouth 1 21.51x
Ripon 1 44.25x
St George Bloomsbury 1 17.70x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.76x
Thorley 1 714.29x
Tottenham 1 6.37x
Tranmere 1 12.52x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Jocelyn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 8
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Mary 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Jane 1
Margreete 1
Maria 1
Marie 1
Martha 1
Rosa 1
Sophia 1
Stella 1
Susanah 1
Theresa 1
Zella 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Jocelyn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 5
William 5
Charles 4
George 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Augustus 1
Danl. 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Griffith 1
Henry 1
Horace 1
Hy.Albert 1
Jn. 1
Lawrence 1
Richd. 1
Sidney 1
Stanley 1
Wm.Geo. 1

FAQ

Jocelyn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jocelyn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 93 people were recorded with the Jocelyn surname. That placed it at #20,593 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jocelyn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 174 in 2016. That gives Jocelyn a modern rank of #21,466.

What does the Jocelyn surname mean?

A French surname derived from the Latin word jocundus, meaning "merry" or "cheerful."

What does the Jocelyn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jocelyn bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.