Joyce is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Joyce means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Joyce across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Joyce has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Joyce is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “lord, of uncertain origin”. derived from the medieval name Josse.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 512,232 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 788 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 227 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 783 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Joyce per year, United States (1882 to 2025). United States peaked in 1942 (16,807/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2011 (46/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1966 (34/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1976 (28/yr).
Joyce has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1942, when it ranked #31 nationally (given to 16,807 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1940s.
Jace · Josie · Jayce · Josue · Jaycee · Jaycie · Jayse · Jossie
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →