Jocelyn
Jocelyn comes from the Old French "Joscelin," derived from the Germanic "Gaut," the name of a Germanic tribe (the same root as in Gautama, the Buddha's clan name). The name was brought to England by the Normans and was originally a male name. It crossed to female usage in the 20th century, becoming predominantly feminine. Jocelyn was a top-200 American name from 1985 to 2010, peaking at #125 in 2007. The peak was driven partly by the broader trend toward French-sounding names. Jocelyn Bell Burnell (born 1943), the Northern Irish astrophysicist who discovered pulsars in 1967, is one of the most important scientists of the 20th century — though she was controversially passed over for the Nobel Prize. I find Jocelyn has an elegant, slightly French quality — the "J" opening is firm, the "ce" cluster gives it texture, and the "lyn" ending gives it softness. The name has been outside the US top 200 since 2013. Jocelyn is a female name of Germanic / French origin that means "Gaut (the Germanic tribe)". Elegant, French, and capable. The name sounds graceful. Jocelyns tend to be artistic. US peaked #125 in 2007. Now top 300. Well-known people named Jocelyn include Jocelyn Bell Burnell (astrophysicist), Jocelyn (Germanic name), Jocelyn (fictional, various), Jocelyn Brown (singer). Common variations and related forms of Jocelyn include Joscelin (Old French), Jocelin (older form), Joceline (variant), Joss (short form).