Joelyn is of Latin origin, derived from the male name Joel, which means 'Yahweh is God.' It gained popularity as a female name in the mid-20th century, likely due to its appealing sound and association with other popular names like Joan and Joy.
The name Joelyn experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years, with a notable peak of 30 births in 1951 and another notable spike of 17 births in 2009. However, it has generally been quite uncommon, with most years seeing fewer than 10 births. Since the late 20th century, the name's usage has been even less frequent, with no more than 8 births per year since 1996.