Joss is a diminutive of Jocelyn. Jocelyn originates in Germanic languages and means "German tribal person". It is derived from the name of a Germanic tribe, the Gauts. Originally, it was a masculine given name and in some languages, e.g. French, it is used mostly as a masculine name until today. In English-speaking countries it can be used as both feminine and masculine given names, in the United States it is currently more popular for girls. It functions as a surname as well.