Still debating between a few names for our baby boy, who may arrive any day. We like the name [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], but aren’t crazy about the nicknames [name_m]Joe[/name_m] or [name_u]Joey[/name_u]. I know we could just call him [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], like we call [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] by his full name, but would like a nickname alternative. We like [name_u]Jay[/name_u], so that might work, but recently heard [name_u]Joss[/name_u] for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], and really like it.
What do you all think of [name_u]Joss[/name_u] as a nickname for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]?
I think [name_u]Joss[/name_u] is very feminine and if I heard someone calling to their child I would assume it was a nn for [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f]/[name_f]Josslyn[/name_f].
I like [name_u]Jay[/name_u] as a nn option though.
I think [name_u]Joss[/name_u] is very feminine and if I heard someone calling to their child I would assume it was a nn for [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f]/[name_f]Josslyn[/name_f].
I like [name_u]Jay[/name_u] as a nn option though.
Yes!!! [name_u]Joss[/name_u] is so much better than [name_m]Joe[/name_m] as a nn for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]. I dissagre with the poster above, the only Jocelyns I know just go by their full name, and I would not assume [name_u]Joss[/name_u] is a girl (I do like [name_u]Joss[/name_u] as a nn for [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f], but I consider [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f] unisex anyway, so I wouldn’t assume it was a girl either way). [name_u]Joss[/name_u] Whedon is a perfect example. His full name is [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]. [name_u]Joss[/name_u] is awesome. I’m in love with this nn. Go for it. I love [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] with [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] and [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] btw, a fabulous sibset. Congrats and good luck!
I agree with some of the other responses that [name_u]Joss[/name_u] is feminine, it also doesn’t mirror the sound of the main name. I think you should also keep in mind this is a very classic name that is going to be very hard to break from the traditional nickname of [name_m]Joe[/name_m] or [name_u]Joey[/name_u].
However, my husband’s name is [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] and since he is from a large family with a few Josephs a few family members call him [name_u]Jay[/name_u] and it works well. I think it is more they call him the first initial J than a formal nickname but I can see it working much better than [name_u]Joss[/name_u].
I love [name_u]Joss[/name_u] as a nn for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]. [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] is on our list with plans to call him [name_u]Joss[/name_u]. Like everyone’s been saying, [name_u]Joss[/name_u] Whedon is [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]. Great choice
Thanks ever so much for your thoughts! We first heard [name_u]Joss[/name_u] while watching the Olympics – skier [name_u]Joss[/name_u] Christensen. Not sure if it’s a nickname for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] in his case, but it sounded like it could be and then google found [name_u]Joss[/name_u] Whedon
I agree it sounds a bit soft/feminine. A friend of mine had a daughter [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f] who goes by [name_f]Jossie[/name_f]. However, I think it also suits guys.
One thing I noticed when mentioning it to people is that most people think I’m saying [name_m]Josh[/name_m]. This may make it too confusing; I don’t want to use a name that he’ll have to constantly correct. Hmm. [name_m]Will[/name_m] have to give it more thought.
[name_m]Alexander[/name_m] and [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] are still on the table, too, and we’ll wait until he arrives to make a final decision!
I love [name_u]Joss[/name_u] as a nickname for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]! And I think immediately of [name_u]Joss[/name_u] Whedon, who is definitely a man. I do not think it sounds feminine at all.
I really like [name_u]Joss[/name_u]. Personally, I’d use it as a spunky nickname for a female [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f], but it works great on a [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] too, and doesn’t seem fixed to one gender for me.
I think it’s a fine nickname for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], though might assume the parents to be Whedon fans. I don’t think it a girls’ name at all, as the only one I know is [name_u]Joss[/name_u] Whedon.
I have a friend named [name_u]Joss[/name_u] (who actually just won gold at the Olympics!) and I always really liked his name. I would assume it’s a nn for [name_m]Josiah[/name_m], but I think it could work for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] as well. I definitely see it as more masculine as well!
Oh, just saw this post! [name_u]Joss[/name_u] Christensen does get called [name_m]Josh[/name_m] fairly often too, but it doesn’t bother him. I don’t know if that helps at all, but I figured it can’t hurt to give the opinion of someone who actually has that name.
We named our soon [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] last summer and i had every intention of calling him [name_u]Joss[/name_u], but hubby didn’t and so we’ve just called him [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], but thanks to [name_u]Joss[/name_u] Christensen my husband really likes it now and is calling him [name_u]Joss[/name_u] which is what i called our baby when i was pregnant with him, and I’ve felt that was what he really should be called so I’m really happy about it. [name_u]Joss[/name_u] is an awesome name I don’t like [name_m]Joe[/name_m] or [name_u]Joey[/name_u]
I think it’s cool! In Hebrew, [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] comes out like [name_m]Yosef[/name_m] (YOH-sehf), and [name_m]Yossi[/name_m]/[name_m]Yosi[/name_m] are very common nn’s. So [name_u]Joss[/name_u] doesn’t look weird or unconnected to [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] to me, i really like it.
I think it’s nice. If I saw [name_u]Joss[/name_u] I would assume it was short from [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], so it makes sense to me. I definitely prefer it to [name_m]Joe[/name_m], it is so much more interesting.
I’ve never heard or thought of [name_u]Joss[/name_u] for [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], but think it’s a wonderful option.
[name_u]Joss[/name_u] doesn’t sound feminine to me. As others have said, [name_u]Joss[/name_u] is a common shortened version of [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f] but [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f] isn’t a very popular/common name (where I live, anyway) so I would never assume that [name_u]Joss[/name_u] was a girl.
[name_u]Jo[/name_u] can be short for [name_f]Joanne[/name_f], [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] etc, and nobody think of [name_m]Joe[/name_m] as being too feminine. So why can’t you use [name_u]Joss[/name_u]?
