Joost as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Joost

What is the meaning of the name Joost ?

The baby name Joost is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /joːst/ (Dutch) — "yoost".

Joost is Dutch in Origin.

Joost is a Dutch masculine given name linked to Breton Iudoc (Latinized Jodocus), interpreted as “lord” or “chief,” and sometimes conflated with Latin Justus, meaning “just, righteous.” Through medieval transmission - especially the cult of Saint Judoc (French Josse) - the name entered the Low Countries, where Dutch sound changes yielded Joost.

Documented since the late Middle Ages, it gained literary prestige through 17th-century poet Joost van den Vondel and remains familiar in the Netherlands and in Afrikaans-speaking South Africa. Variants and cognates include Jost (German), Josse (French), Joos (Flemish), Joyce (the English given name/surname derived from Josse), and the parallel Latin line Justus/Just. Diminutives are rare; occasional spellings like Yoost appear informally. The name conveys either noble rank (from Iudoc “lord”) or moral uprightness (from Justus), giving Joost a succinct, strong profile with deep medieval roots.