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Joyce as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Joyce

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The baby name Joyce is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /dʒɔɪs/.

Joyce is Latin in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: /dʒɔɪs/

What is the meaning of the name Joyce ?

The baby name Joyce is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /dʒɔɪs/.

Joyce is Latin in Origin.

Joyce stems from the Breton Iudoc (“little lord,” from iudh “lord”), Latinized as Iudocus and carried into Old French as Josse; in Middle English it appeared as Joce/Josse, later settling as the surname and given name Joyce. Its medieval use was propelled by devotion to the 7th‑century Saint Judoc (St. Josse). Through Norman influence the surname became established in Britain and Ireland (Gaelicised as Seoighe), and the sound later attracted a folk link with English joy.

Used as a male name in medieval England and France, Joyce declined to chiefly a surname before revival as a feminine given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, peaking mid‑century across the Anglophone world; it remains occasionally unisex. Variants and related forms include Josse (French), Joce, Joss, and the Brazilian‑Portuguese spelling Joice; diminutives include Joy and Joycie. Meaning is best given as “lord” or “little lord,” though modern use often reads it as “joyful.”

Joyce has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Joyce

Joyce Banda Politician · Born 1950 · Malawi Joyce Banda is a prominent Malawian politician who served as the country's first female president from 2012 to 2014. She is well-known for her efforts in promoting women's rights and improving healthcare and education in Malawi. Before her presidency, she founded the Joyce Banda Foundation, which focuses on empowering women and children through education and entrepreneurship. Joyce DiDonato Musician · Born 1969 · United States Joyce DiDonato is an American mezzo-soprano known for her dynamic performances in opera and concert halls around the world. She is particularly famous for her roles in operas like 'Cendrillon' and 'La Donna del Lago'. Her album 'Diva, Divo' won a Grammy Award, showcasing her versatile vocal talent. Joyce Jonathan Actor · Born 1989 · France Joyce Jonathan is a French singer-songwriter known for her melodic pop songs. She gained popularity with hits like 'Je ne sais pas' and 'Ça ira'. Born in 1989, she has become a notable figure in the French music scene.
Joyce Compton Actor · Born 1907 · United States Joyce Compton was an American actress best known for her comedic roles in films during the 1930s and 1940s. She appeared in movies like 'The Awful Truth' and 'Mildred Pierce', showcasing her talent for light-hearted and supporting roles. Joyce Brothers Actor · Born 1927 · United States Joyce Brothers was a well-known American psychologist and television personality, most famous for her appearances on various talk shows and her advice columns. She gained national attention after winning the top prize on the game show 'The $64,000 Question' in 1955. Brothers also made guest appearances on popular TV shows like 'The Love Boat' and 'Happy Days'.

Joyce – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Germany Girls 2020 #1 — 423
GH Girls 0 #8 2,307 6,973
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
PH 0 #14 91 5,607
BW 0 #17 3 960
TW 0 #17 93 4,523
TW Girls 0 #18 577 8,139
BW Girls 0 #20 172 4,216
SG 0 #24 386 11,010
SG Girls 0 #25 2,495 18,916
MO 0 #28 25 2,706
GH 0 #29 441 5,396
BI Girls 0 #30 4 726
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
HK Girls 0 #33 3,461 16,104
HK 0 #33 613 8,483
CN 0 #34 52 3,857
ZA Girls 0 #35 8,447 25,928
HN Girls 0 #38 1 884
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
NL Girls 0 #39 6,610 5,933
MT 0 #40 4 1,767
PH Girls 0 #41 687 13,098
CN Girls 0 #43 790 8,829
MO Girls 0 #44 315 7,056
MT Girls 0 #47 131 3,773
CM 0 #51 6 2,592
PR 0 #54 2 1,497
NL 0 #58 548 2,481
AO 0 #63 14 2,729
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
JP 0 #68 10 4,057
IN 0 #71 1 2,963
QA 0 #71 30 7,011
MY 0 #76 319 12,352
NG Girls 0 #76 4,129 15,093
BG 0 #81 2 1,799
JM 0 #85 9 3,714
ID Girls 0 #86 13 3,319
BN Girls 0 #91 16 5,459
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
BR Girls 0 #98 5,140 12,708
OM 0 #106 11 6,215
CY Girls 0 #109 13 3,755
KW 0 #116 6 5,216
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
PA 0 #121 10 3,797
MY Girls 0 #122 2,663 24,821
NA Girls 0 #122 109 7,146
AO Girls 0 #126 89 4,575
MU 0 #131 7 3,613
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
QA Girls 0 #134 194 15,378
AE 0 #137 41 10,220
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
CR 0 #139 20 5,526
JM Girls 0 #139 141 7,507
LU Girls 0 #140 47 4,850
PR Girls 0 #140 22 3,171
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
KW Girls 0 #144 469 19,177
BW Boys 0 #152 3 4,685
BR 0 #163 212 5,969
Belgium Girls 2020 #166 24 416
NG 0 #169 97 5,926
CM Girls 0 #172 617 11,671
OM Girls 0 #174 236 15,987
Sweden Girls 2022 #177 3 1,568
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
UY 0 #180 3 2,477
France Girls 2021 #186 271 3,185
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
JP Girls 0 #196 50 6,592
DK 0 #202 5 5,198
MU Girls 0 #205 150 8,539
EC Girls 0 #211 29 3,650
AE Girls 0 #215 388 20,968
PS 0 #220 7 5,692
HU Girls 0 #223 3 3,308
GR Girls 0 #226 17 6,293
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
MO Boys 0 #231 4 5,842
PT 0 #236 11 4,161
AO Boys 0 #243 7 5,568
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
Canada Girls 2024 #247 39 2,795
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
TW Boys 0 #254 3 7,111
LB 0 #261 598 13,263
IL 0 #262 13 6,291
SA 0 #268 28 10,560
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
ZA 0 #278 170 14,421
PE 0 #285 26 6,350
JO Girls 0 #287 39 7,570
GH Boys 0 #290 57 8,138
JM Boys 0 #291 3 6,876
DK Girls 0 #292 25 7,429
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
SD Girls 0 #326 20 7,678
CN Boys 0 #328 4 9,639
SA Girls 0 #329 806 25,931
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
CZ Girls 0 #348 4 5,378
PT Girls 0 #357 96 7,952
PA Girls 0 #358 128 9,861
CR Girls 0 #361 177 11,342
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
PH Boys 0 #370 14 11,440
Finland Girls 0 #373 19 1,368
CL 0 #377 35 6,867
PT Boys 0 #377 5 7,951
France Boys 2021 #382 6 2,865
EG 0 #384 17 6,387
YE 0 #394 5 8,639
Austria Girls 0 #396 25 1,885
MX 0 #397 17 8,339
BD Girls 0 #400 7 8,413
BO 0 #407 2 6,868
Germany 0 #420 18 2,542
Spain 0 #428 25 2,326
BH 0 #438 116 17,937
PS Girls 0 #442 82 10,981
CO 0 #450 31 7,768
GT Girls 0 #490 16 7,500
UY Girls 0 #492 19 6,731
CM Boys 0 #500 51 12,054
PA Boys 0 #500 6 9,305
LY 0 #507 29 12,703
HK Boys 0 #508 20 12,905
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
RU Girls 0 #517 7 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #519 7 11,303
IL Girls 0 #521 97 11,648
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
CL Girls 0 #538 346 14,098
IR Girls 0 #542 4 8,334
EG Girls 0 #560 464 14,742
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
BO Girls 0 #597 15 9,488
IN Girls 0 #601 31 13,121
BD Boys 0 #604 2 10,045
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
Germany Girls 0 #622 220 4,949
AR Girls 0 #624 7 8,289
IL Boys 0 #625 1 10,983
PE Girls 0 #637 340 14,861
IT 0 #662 53 4,183
United States Girls 2024 #678 240 8,487
SG Boys 0 #678 20 17,960
BR Boys 0 #690 62 12,213
Finland Girls 2026 #695 44 3,895
CL Boys 0 #696 5 13,390
SY 0 #696 33 11,684
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
QA Boys 0 #698 10 18,093
KW Boys 0 #753 17 18,755
Spain Girls 0 #802 183 5,561
TN 0 #816 14 13,765
IT Girls 0 #842 727 9,415
PE Boys 0 #854 25 14,506
CO Girls 0 #857 226 16,140
EG Boys 0 #866 21 15,035
NG Boys 0 #870 82 16,906
United States Boys 2024 #882 11 7,044
CO Boys 0 #909 12 15,656
OM Boys 0 #913 6 17,948
ZA Boys 0 #926 255 25,619
NL Boys 0 #931 21 5,873
MX Boys 0 #973 10 16,355
MX Girls 0 #985 199 17,781
IN Boys 0 #1,037 3 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,074 19 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,076 36 25,439
MA 0 #1,097 32 20,986
DZ 0 #1,166 11 20,130
TR 0 #1,196 16 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,423 49 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,571 44 28,008

Joyce is popular in 83 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
Canada
Wallonia, Belgium
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Joyce

Joyce is predominantly a girl's name.
Joyce is a one syllable name, pronounced /dʒɔɪs/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Joice, Joycie, Joycey, Joy and Jo.
Across languages, Joyce has these equivalents: Iodoc (Breton), Jodocus (Latin), Josse (Old French), Joss (English).
Yes, very popular — Joyce ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
Joyce ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Joyce's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2016 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 5 notable people named Joyce are in our database, including Joyce Banda (Politician), Joyce DiDonato (Musician), Joyce Jonathan (Actor).