Meaning & Origin
An English and Irish surname originating as a patronymic.
Joyce is a girl's and boy's baby name of Celtic origin, from the Norman surname Josse, which came from the Breton saint's name Iodoc, possibly meaning "lord" or "happy." It was used for both boys and girls in the Middle Ages before becoming predominantly feminine.
Joyce was a top 20 U.S. name in the 1930s and 1940s. James Joyce, the great Irish literary modernist, shares the surname — lending the name an unexpected intellectual weight. A name with Breton saints, Irish literature, and mid-century American charm all woven together.