Joyce is associated with the meaning “Lord, joy, or merry” — a beautiful sentiment to see brought to life in your child’s room.
Joyce springs from the Breton name Iodoc, meaning "lord" in the ancient Celtic language of Brittany. The name traveled to medieval England with the Normans after 1066, when French-speaking warriors reshaped the linguistic landscape of Britain. Originally a masculine name, Joyce belonged to 7th-century Saint Judoc, a Breton prince who abandoned his royal inheritance to live as a hermit and pilgrim. His devotion attracted followers across medieval Europe, and shrines dedicated to him dotted pilgrimage routes from Brittany to the Low Countries.