Joyce (name) The name Joyce is a contemporary given-name used for females and rarely used for males. As a family-name, it derived from the Old French Masculine name Josse, which derived from the Latin name Iudocus, the Latinized form of the Breton name Judoc meaning "lord". The name became rare after the 14th century, but later revived as a female given-name, which derived from the Middle English meaning "rejoice". The name originated with Saint Joyce (Judoc) (600–668), a Breton prince and hermit and the son of Judicael, king of Brittany. As a first name Art Joyce Ballantyne (1918–2006), American painter of pin-ups Joyce Wieland (1931–1998), Canadian experimental filmmaker and mixed media artist Business Joyce Chen (1917–1994), chef and restaurateur Joyce Hall (1891–1982), American businessman and founder of Hallmark Cards Joyce Kiage, businesswoman from Papua New Guinea Joyce Nicholson (1919), Australian author and businesswoman Film, television, and theater Joyce Blair (1932–2006), British actress and dancer Dr. Joyce Brothers (1927–2013), TV personality Joyce Bulifant (born 1937), American actress Joyce Carey (1898–1993), British actress Joyce Chopra (born 1938), American film director Joyce Coad (1917–1987), American child actress Joyce Compton (1907–1997), American actress Joyce DeWitt (born 1949), American actress best known for her role in Three's Company Joyce Giraud (born 1975), Puerto Rican actress and model Joyce Godenzi (born 1965), beauty queen and actress of Chinese and Australian descent Joyce Grenfell (1910–1979), British actress, comedian and singer-songwriter Amy Joyce Hastings (born 1980), Irish actress and descendant of the Joyce family of the Tribes of Galway Joyce Hyser (born 1957), American actress Joyce Jacobs (born 1922), British character actress Joyce Jimenez (born 1978), Filipino American actress Joyce MacKenzie (born 1929), American actress Joyce Nizzari (born 1940), American model and actress Joyce Randolph (born 1925), American actress Joyce Redman (born 1918), British actress Joyce Sparer Adler (1916–1999), American critic, playwright, and teacher Joyce Van Patten (born 1934), American actress Literature and print Joyce Cary (1888–1957), Irish novelist Joyce Cavalcante (born 1949), Brazilian novelist Joyce Brabner (born 1952), Writer of political comics Joyce Dyer, (born 1947), American scholar and writer Joyce Jillson (1946–2004), Syndicated American astrologer, actress and author Joyce Johnson (born 1935), Award-winning American author Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918), American poet Joyce Lussu (1912–1998), Italian writer, translator and partisan Joyce Mansour (1928–1986), British-Egyptian surrealist poet Joyce Maynard (born 1953), American writer Joyce Carol Oates (born 1938), Award-winning American novelist Joyce Carol Thomas (born 1938), African American playwright, illustrator and author of children's books Music Joyce Auguste, Saint Lucian musician and leader of The Hewanorra Voices Joyce Cooling, American smooth jazz guitarist Joyce DiDonato (born 1969), American opera singer Joyce Hatto (1928–2006), faux British pianist Joyce Kennedy (singer), American singer with the funk rock band Mother's Finest Joyce Moreno (born 1948), Brazilian singer-songwriter, formerly known as Joyce Joyce Paul (1937–2016), American country music singer Joyce Sims (born 1959), American singer-songwriter and pianist Joyce Wright (born 1922), British opera singer and actress Joyce Yang (born 1986), Korean pianist Joyce Zhao Hong Qiao (born 1979), Taiwanese actress and member of music group 7 Flowers Politics Joyce Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St Johns, Conservative member of the House of Lords Joyce Banda (born 1951), Malawian Member of Parliament Joyce Beatty (born 1950), member of the Ohio House of Representatives Joyce Butler (1910–1992), British Labour Co-operative politician Joyce Cusack (born 1942), member of the Florida House of Representatives Joyce Fairbairn (born 1939), Canadian Senator and first woman Leader of the Government in the Senate Joyce Gemayel, wife of former President of Lebanon Amin Gemayel and mother of the assassinated politician Pierre Amine Gemayel Joyce Hens Green (born 1928), American district court