Girl · Celtic (Breton, via Old French) · Christian
Joyce
JoyceSay it JOYS
- Meaning today
- Joyful, lord
- Original meaning
- "from Josse (Breton saint Judoc), of Celtic origin; no meaning given" Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. Joyce
- Say it
- JOYS
- Other spellings
- Joice
Joyce
Stays on your phone. A family name is never required.
Joyce meaning
Joyce is a Christian girl's name of Celtic origin (Breton, via Old French).
Meaning today
Joyful, lord
Original Celtic (Breton, via Old French) meaning
"from Josse (Breton saint Judoc), of Celtic origin; no meaning given"
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. Joyce · entry Joyce · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Joyce goes back to Josse, the French form of the name of Saint Judoc, a seventh-century Breton prince who became a hermit. The Online Etymology Dictionary records the English name in earlier spellings such as Josse and Goce, given to both men and women, and calls it Celtic in origin. Name lists translate it "joyful", but that comes from its likeness to the word joy rather than its history; the gloss "lord" draws on a Breton word iud-, "chief", which is plausible but unconfirmed for this name. Since the twentieth century Joyce has been a girl's name, and it is used in Christian families across India.
References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Joyce · Online Etymology Dictionary, Breton
Famous namesakes
- Saint Judoc (Josse), 7th-century Breton hermit
Spellings
Joyce · Joice