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Joseph Name Origin: Hebrew
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Pronunciation: jo-sef
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See what 46 people think about Joseph
Joseph Name Meaning
Joseph has been an enduring classic on the baby name charts, a long-time favorite with an appeal similar to William and James. He’s timeless in his use and never dated, fitting countless generations of men from infancy to adulthood with ease.
Derived from the Hebrew name Yosef meaning “He will add,” Joseph is a Hebrew name rich with biblical ties. He appears as the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus, as well as a disciple who offered the tomb for Jesus’ body to lie in wait of resurrection. He also appears in the Book of Genesis as one of Jacob’s sons.
Joseph has also been the name of kings, leaders, sports stars, and more, successfully transferring to everyday use outside of biblical texts unlike Ebenezer or Esau. Joseph is no doubt strong, remaining mighty despite years of solid use. A little Joseph won’t be weighed down with heavy expectation, as the name is relatively free from associations and connotations. Joseph could be a world-famous pilot or painter, whatever he chooses.
Joseph has a number of spunky nicknames like Joe, Joey, Jojo, and the unexpected Seph. There are quite a few variants of Joseph including Josef, Giuseppe, and Jozef. Joseph also has female variants including Josephine, Josephina, and Jody.
Infographic of Joseph name meaning, which is Meaning Jehovah will increase, Joseph is a name of Hebrew origins.
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Joseph Name Popularity
How popular is the name Joseph? Here’s everything we know.
Year |
Rank |
# Births |
% Births |
1910 |
6 |
5,226 |
1.4843% |
1911 |
6 |
6,481 |
1.7404% |
1912 |
5 |
12,058 |
2.3911% |
1913 |
5 |
14,467 |
2.5516% |
1914 |
5 |
18,829 |
2.7018% |
1915 |
5 |
23,052 |
2.5372% |
1916 |
5 |
23,883 |
2.4724% |
1917 |
5 |
24,762 |
2.4751% |
1918 |
7 |
26,263 |
2.4471% |
1919 |
7 |
24,264 |
2.3172% |
1920 |
7 |
25,591 |
2.3016% |
1921 |
7 |
26,180 |
2.2863% |
1922 |
7 |
25,700 |
2.3068% |
1923 |
7 |
25,560 |
2.2821% |
1924 |
7 |
25,426 |
2.1895% |
1925 |
7 |
24,615 |
2.1778% |
1926 |
8 |
23,762 |
2.1604% |
1927 |
9 |
23,504 |
2.1234% |
1928 |
9 |
22,306 |
2.0847% |
1929 |
9 |
21,164 |
2.0432% |
1930 |
9 |
20,981 |
2.0086% |
1931 |
9 |
19,331 |
1.9586% |
1932 |
9 |
18,560 |
1.8786% |
1933 |
9 |
17,161 |
1.842% |
1934 |
10 |
17,103 |
1.7692% |
1935 |
10 |
17,182 |
1.7681% |
1936 |
11 |
17,449 |
1.8114% |
1937 |
12 |
17,316 |
1.7573% |
1938 |
12 |
17,734 |
1.7323% |
1939 |
12 |
17,713 |
1.7413% |
1940 |
12 |
18,205 |
1.7128% |
1941 |
12 |
19,800 |
1.7592% |
1942 |
11 |
22,421 |
1.7756% |
1943 |
13 |
22,817 |
1.7478% |
1944 |
13 |
21,170 |
1.7081% |
1945 |
14 |
20,816 |
1.7068% |
1946 |
14 |
24,279 |
1.6454% |
1947 |
14 |
27,513 |
1.6482% |
1948 |
13 |
26,804 |
1.6791% |
1949 |
14 |
26,410 |
1.6418% |
1950 |
13 |
27,026 |
1.6785% |
1951 |
14 |
28,156 |
1.6606% |
1952 |
12 |
28,524 |
1.6341% |
1953 |
13 |
29,258 |
1.6532% |
1954 |
13 |
31,201 |
1.7068% |
1955 |
13 |
31,604 |
1.7182% |
1956 |
12 |
32,715 |
1.7321% |
1957 |
12 |
31,806 |
1.6529% |
1958 |
12 |
30,095 |
1.5924% |
1959 |
13 |
29,523 |
1.5539% |
1960 |
12 |
29,746 |
1.5699% |
1961 |
12 |
29,445 |
1.5596% |
1962 |
13 |
30,083 |
1.6386% |
1963 |
13 |
30,101 |
1.6769% |
1964 |
11 |
30,550 |
1.7356% |
1965 |
11 |
28,660 |
1.7526% |
1966 |
15 |
26,991 |
1.7287% |
1967 |
15 |
25,940 |
1.7093% |
1968 |
16 |
25,401 |
1.6916% |
1969 |
15 |
26,187 |
1.6998% |
1970 |
16 |
26,732 |
1.6798% |
1971 |
15 |
24,517 |
1.6315% |
1972 |
12 |
22,469 |
1.6497% |
1973 |
12 |
21,328 |
1.6451% |
1974 |
12 |
21,838 |
1.6802% |
1975 |
12 |
22,142 |
1.7231% |
1976 |
12 |
24,072 |
1.8677% |
1977 |
10 |
26,492 |
1.9654% |
1978 |
10 |
26,668 |
1.9836% |
1979 |
11 |
28,667 |
2.0331% |
1980 |
10 |
30,202 |
2.0656% |
1981 |
11 |
30,772 |
2.0934% |
1982 |
11 |
31,047 |
2.0776% |
1983 |
11 |
30,456 |
2.0639% |
1984 |
10 |
30,512 |
2.0511% |
1985 |
10 |
30,213 |
1.9905% |
1986 |
12 |
28,833 |
1.9101% |
1987 |
12 |
28,510 |
1.8683% |
1988 |
12 |
29,003 |
1.8611% |
1989 |
11 |
29,869 |
1.851% |
1990 |
10 |
30,127 |
1.8177% |
1991 |
9 |
29,835 |
1.8304% |
1992 |
11 |
27,894 |
1.7476% |
1993 |
12 |
27,007 |
1.7323% |
1994 |
11 |
25,728 |
1.6765% |
1995 |
12 |
25,345 |
1.6817% |
1996 |
12 |
24,754 |
1.6532% |
1997 |
12 |
23,589 |
1.5949% |
1998 |
11 |
23,178 |
1.5486% |
1999 |
8 |
23,210 |
1.5499% |
2000 |
8 |
22,825 |
1.4942% |
2001 |
8 |
22,004 |
1.4604% |
2002 |
7 |
21,891 |
1.4608% |
2003 |
6 |
21,361 |
1.4041% |
2004 |
9 |
20,123 |
1.3203% |
2005 |
9 |
19,210 |
1.2564% |
2006 |
11 |
18,440 |
1.1777% |
2007 |
13 |
17,333 |
1.0986% |
2008 |
13 |
16,571 |
1.0722% |
2009 |
15 |
14,914 |
0.9978% |
2010 |
20 |
13,825 |
0.9593% |
2011 |
22 |
12,964 |
0.9099% |
2012 |
19 |
12,553 |
0.8809% |
2013 |
20 |
12,231 |
0.8591% |
2014 |
20 |
12,106 |
0.8309% |
2015 |
21 |
11,471 |
0.7884% |
2016 |
20 |
10,892 |
0.7554% |
2017 |
19 |
10,360 |
0.7423% |
2018 |
23 |
9,555 |
0.6955% |
2019 |
24 |
9,058 |
0.6691% |
2020 |
26 |
8,246 |
0.6478% |
2021 |
28 |
8,067 |
0.6599% |
2022 |
31 |
7,665 |
0.581% |
District of Columbia (DC)
Data via SSA.gov.
Names Like Joseph
If you like Joseph, you’ll love these other names like Joseph.
What names are diminutives of Joseph?
A diminutive is a name that’s like Joseph sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Joseph, but shorter.
Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
Jo
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Jehovah increases
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Hebrew
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Jodi
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
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Jodie
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
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|
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Jody
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Joe
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A diminutive form of Joseph.
|
English
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Joey
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
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|
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Jojo
|
Short form of Joseph
|
English
|
|
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Joop
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Joos
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Jehovah increases; just, upright, righteous
|
Latin
|
|
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Joss
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A member of the Germanic tribe, the Gauts
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German
|
|
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Pepe
|
Jehovah increases
|
Spanish
|
|
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Pepito
|
Jehovah increases
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Peppi
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Pino
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Pipo
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Sepp
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Seppi
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
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What names are variants of Joseph?
Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Joseph.
Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
Giuseppe
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An Italian form of Joseph.
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Italian
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|
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Giuseppino
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Iosef
|
|
Russian
|
|
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Iosep
|
God will multiply
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Iosif
|
Jehovah increases
|
Russian
|
|
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Iosip
|
Jehovah increases
|
Russian
|
|
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Jessup
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
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|
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Jose
|
Jehovah will increase
|
Spanish
|
|
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Josef
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Joseito
|
Jehovah increases
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Joselito
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Josep
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Josephe
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Josephus
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Josif
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Josip
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Josue
|
God is salvation
|
Spanish
|
|
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Jozef
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Osip
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Yousef
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Yusif
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
Yussuf
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Yusuf
|
God increases
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Yuszef
|
Jehovah increases
|
Hebrew
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|
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What names sound like Joseph?
If you like how Joseph sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Joseph.
Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
Joshua
|
God is salvation
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Josiah
|
God supports
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Josue
|
God is salvation
|
Spanish
|
|
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What names are similar to Joseph?
Find a name that’s like Joseph, but just a little bit different.
Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
David
|
Beloved
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Isaac
|
He will laugh
|
Hebrew
|
|
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James
|
Supplanter
|
English
|
|
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John
|
God is gracious
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Luke
|
From Lucania
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Greek
|
|
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Mark
|
Dedicated to Mars
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Latin
|
|
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Matthew
|
Gift of God
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Michael
|
Who is Like God?
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Peter
|
Stone
|
Greek
|
|
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Samuel
|
Name of God
|
Hebrew
|
|
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Lists With Joseph
Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Joseph.
Siblings of Joseph
Mamas with kids named Joseph also have kids with these names.
Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
Anastasia
|
Resurrection
|
Greek
|
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Elisia
|
From the blessed isles
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Latin
|
|
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Moriah
|
The hill country
|
Hebrew
|
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