Josse

French form of Iudocus (see JOYCE).

JOYCE   female & male   English
From the medieval masculine name Josse, which was derived from the earlier Iudocus, which was a Latinized form of the Breton name Judoc meaning "lord". The name belonged to a 7th-century Breton saint, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman conquest. It became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a feminine name, perhaps because of similarity to the Middle English word joise "to rejoice". This given name also formed the basis for a surname, as in the case of the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882-1941).
EQUIVALENTS
ANCIENT CELTIC: Iodocus, Iudocus, Jodocus, Judoc, Judocus
BRETON: Jodoc, Judoc
DUTCH: Jodocus, Joost, Judocus
ENGLISH: Joyce
FRENCH: Josse
GERMAN: Jost
MEDIEVAL FRENCH: Josse
SLOVENE: Jošt
DIMINUTIVES AND SHORT FORMS
DUTCH: Joos
FEMININE FORMS
ENGLISH: Joisse, Joyce
MEDIEVAL ENGLISH: Jocosa