Baby name quandary!

[MissLulu]

I have a little boy called Zac (Zachary) and husband and I are struggling with second boys name. He loves Joshua, but I'm not keen on Josh, however I do have a big crush on the name Joss. Do you think Joss would work well as an alternative shortening for Joshua? And do you think Zac & Joss work well together?
Thanks for your help!

[Minitant]

I really like Joss (never heard of it before but very cool sounding) - and goes v well with Zac.

[Bowlersarm]

Jos Butler, is a cricketer, and his full name is Joseph. Possibility?

I like Zac and Joss.

[StoneFoxMama]

Joss is lovelier than Josh, by a mile.

[ClementineAndCordelia]

I know a Joseph who is Joss for short . Absolutely love it . People often think it's Joss short for Joshua . It's a great name - go for it !

[myotherusernameisbetter]

How about Jos/Joss short for Josiah? Similar sound to Joshua without having the chance that he ends up Josh bu default? I like Joshua - hate Josh!

[myotherusernameisbetter]

a quick google rveals that Jos seems to be more used by women and Joss more by men - presume it is originally short for Jocelyn/Joselyn?

[MissLulu]

Thanks so much for all your positive comments, I was bracing myself for some more negative ones...so I'm chuffed! Maybe this could work afterall!

[Salmotrutta]

I like Joss.

There's that fabulous old actor Joss Ackland who I really like too!

[poppydaisy]

I also much prefer Joss (Jocelyn or Jossiah) to Joshua. I think it goes well with Zachary.

[flowerygirl]

I thought Joss was short for Jocelyn?

[PunkAssMoFo]

I would think of it as a girls name.

It may well morph into josh once he starts school.

[ClementineAndCordelia]

Joss is a Celtic name in its own right too - it means ' Champion '.
I also know of a Joss nn -Josiah ( as well as Joseph) .

[zoobaby]

I think he'll be called by whatever nickname he's introduced with. If someone first saw it in writing, they might think Josh as a nickname, but I don't think that people just automatically shorten someone's name without hearing it first. Joss seems perfectly fine for Joshua, which the nicest full name option imo.

[rosepetalsoup]

Joss is often short for Jocelyn. It is lovely. A nice Joss: www.ippr.org/people/staff/joss-garman

[Angelto5]

I hear the name joss & immediately think of joss (Joseph)Whedon.
Writer, director & producer on projects such as
Buffy the vampire slayer
Angel
Alien resurrection
The cabin in the woods
Toy story
Also has a brother named Zack

[florascotia]

I think Joss is nice. FWIW, and apologies for geek corner here...

a) Joss as nn for Jocelyn/Goscelin distantly comes from the name of a Celtic tribe in Gaul.

b) Josse (that spelling, French) and also Joyce in English and Jost in Dutch all come from 'Jodocus', a Latin version of a Breton (ie Celtic) word 'judoc' which means 'lord'. One expert says that 'judoc' comes from an older word 'iod', with the same meaning.

There was a prince, hermit and (unofficial) saint Judoc, said to live around AD 650. Protected against snakebite, allegedly.

c) Joss a nn for Joseph has no Celtic connections.

[Leeds2]

I don't dislike it, and I think it goes well with Zac, but I would assume Joss was a girl's name and, if I heard it being said to a boy, I would probably assume he was called Josh.

[PaperdollCartoon]

I knew a boy called Joss in my youth, I don't think it was short for anything. He was really intelligent and quirky, and cute! A good advert for the name :) I'd forgotten it till now. I think it could definitely work as a shortening of Joshua or Joseph, if you're the type to always call them by the nickname it kind of doesn't matter what it's short for! Some nicknames seem far more loosely related to the long name than this.

[MaudeLebowski]

Love Joss, I've only ever known a female Joss in real life, but Joss Whedon is a very very cool namesake.

[MaudeLebowski]

Oh what do you know, Joss Whedon is a Joseph.

[twinjocks]

I think it's a fab name - I hate Josh - Joss is so much better.

[imnotproud]

I like it, it's so hard to find a boys name that's a bit different it still sounds kind & masculine. I'd have renouncing this a few months ago!
Not that you've asked but, if it helps, I think I like the Jos spelling as it's harder to confuse with Josh.

[maggiethemagpie]

I have a Zac and if my second had been a girl I was seriously thinking of Josiah.

[MissLulu]

Thanks everyone for all your views and opinions. I am so pleased with all the positive feedback and all the additional information and suggestions! Really appreciated. ??