Meaning and history
Joyce comes from the medieval masculine name Josse, itself derived from the earlier Iudocus, a Latinized form of the Breton name Judoc meaning “lord.” The name belonged to a 7th-century Breton saint and was brought to England by Breton settlers after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 14th century, but later revived as a feminine name, possibly influenced by the Middle English word joise, meaning “to rejoice.” It also developed as a surname, as in the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882–1941).
20062006: 325 births, rank #830
2007: 342 births, rank #838
2008: 318 births, rank #875
2009: 287 births, rank #930
2010: 303 births, rank #877
20112011: 264 births, rank #970
2012: 298 births, rank #887
2013: 328 births, rank #820
2014: 353 births, rank #794
2015: 332 births, rank #844
20162016: 385 births, rank #738
2017: 325 births, rank #836
2018: 284 births, rank #939
2019: 287 births, rank #922
2020: 261 births, rank #976
20212021: 274 births, rank #954
2022: 269 births, rank #984
2023: 237 births, rank #1,055
2024: 241 births, rank #1,041
20252025: 226 births, rank #1,071
Joyce moved from #954 to #984 for girls between 2021 and 2022. Its highest annual birth count came in 1942, with 16,728 births.