Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Joss

43 replies

inmymamera · 03/09/2025 22:08

Can I ask for some opinions on the name Joss for a boy please? One of our top choices right now. We have another son with a one syllable name

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Espressoicecream · 03/09/2025 22:11

I know several, all teens, all short for Jossiah. I think it's a lovely name and had assumed it was short for Joycelin (also a boys name)

Rainbowdays123 · 03/09/2025 22:13

I like it

Needspaceforlego · 03/09/2025 22:13

Sorry its a bit of a non name
People with think Toss, Boss, Jess, Jose, Josh

How about Josh, Joe, Jace, Jac,

LegoPicnic · 03/09/2025 22:14

I’ve only known girls with that name - generally short for Jocelyn (which I know is unisex, but I’ve never personally met a male Jocelyn but have known several women and girls)

fashionqueen0123 · 03/09/2025 22:14

It makes me think of two things:

Joss Stone
joss sticks

will it just repeatedly be mistaken for Josh? I don’t not like it but can’t say I love it.

zaazaazoom · 03/09/2025 22:14

I know one as an adult and he hates his name.

Pissenlit · 03/09/2025 22:15

I like it.

Ikeameatballs · 03/09/2025 22:15

I had a lovely friend who had this nickname, in his case shortened from Joseph, so I like this.

SwedishEdith · 03/09/2025 22:16

I think of Joss Ackland. I've always thought it was a great name but it was short for another name.

Duckyfondant · 03/09/2025 22:21

I think of Joss whedon and that's not a good thing

user2848502016 · 03/09/2025 22:23

I quite like it
Maybe give a longer name on birth certificate so he has options - like Joseph or Jossiah?

ViaRia01 · 03/09/2025 22:24

I knew one as a child and he’d be 34 or so by now. Nice name, no negative connotations for me at all but I do think he was often mistaken for Josh which is heard much more frequently. I also know one female Joss, shortened from Jocelyn. That suits her fine too. I think because I’ve known only one male and one female with that name I don’t think of it as either masculine or feminine. It works well for both.

Porkydorky · 03/09/2025 22:25

Joss is honestly one of my favourite names! It’s not used much and it reminds me of a lovely boy at school called Joss. I’m not sure if he had it as a shortened version of a name or not, but either way I like it.

Sunblocker · 03/09/2025 22:31

Top of my list if I’d ever had a boy- see also Kit!
Short, cool and as a teacher of over 30 years, I’ve only ever known one of each in all those years. God there is so little imagination with boys- endless Ollie’s, Jacobs, Alfies etc- all lovely names but so many boys have the same name!
Joss is lush!

Radiatorvalves · 03/09/2025 22:34

I love it. Know a 20yo Joss and it suits him very well. Occasionally people will think it’s Josh but that’s easily corrected.

YesItsMeYesItsMe · 03/09/2025 22:48

We have a Jos and have met at least 4 other little ones since he was born 🥰 (he’s 10, to give you an idea of the rate!)!

One was in a queue locally - they’d seen my Jos’ peg at nursery and named their new baby Jos 😄
One was at the zoo cafe - he was a Jocelyn.
One was at the library, inspired by Jos Buttler.
One was a newborn at a wedding when ours was a few months old - he was a Josiah.
Ours is a Joseph, as is Jos Buttler. No issues whatsoever, in school or anywhere. People are overwhelmingly capable of remembering names and getting them right. I prefer it with 2 Ss but DH won on that one. I went to the same school as Jos Buttler so didn’t feel like a weird name to me.

PPs saying people will think ‘Toss, Boss’ … why would they think a child is called Toss or Boss vs a well known actual name? 😂 also so what if they do?

ChloeCannotCanCan · 03/09/2025 22:55

I would assume a Joss was female - I guess because of Joss Stone - or a stick!

It just feels a bit like a nothing name - it’s very forgettable somehow and could be short for anything….

dybb · 03/09/2025 23:23

I really like it. Simple and has a friendly feel.

Moreteaandchocolate · 04/09/2025 10:21

I like it as a girls name, short for Jocelyn. I’ve never heard it as a boys name and would probably assume I’d misheard and he was called Josh.

noramoo · 04/09/2025 10:52

I have a friend called Joss. Sometimes does get assumed to be a female name but that's not a big issue. It's definitely unusual - he's never met another one.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 04/09/2025 11:30

I work with a male Jos. In his case it’s short for Joshua. I know Joshua is traditionally abbreviated to Josh, but Jos works fine i thibk.

Mydadsbirthday · 04/09/2025 11:49

I think it's cool but would be much better as a nickname for Josiah or Joseph

pamshortsbrokenbothherlegs · 04/09/2025 17:00

I absolutely love it, it was my top choice for DTS2, but since I got my top choice for DTS1, I had to let DH name the other one. 😅 Such a good name, go for it!

BeefAndHorseradishSandwich · 04/09/2025 17:17

Oh that’s awful 🤮 and a bit ‘trying too hard’. If you like that sound then go for James. It’s not that different but it’s much classier. Joss is a bit chavvy. Even Joshua (shortened to Josh) is better than Joss.

BeefAndHorseradishSandwich · 04/09/2025 17:18

Also, it makes me think of vegan men in skinny jeans with a man bun, wearing loafers with no socks.