Boy · #34 in 2026

Joseph

Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef. "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic countries. In Portuguese and Spanish, the name is "José". In Arabic, including in the Quran, the name is spelled يوسف, Yūsuf.

Current Rank
#34
Peak Rank
#5 (1956)
Total Babies
2.7M
5-Yr Trend
-21%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1985
Peak Year
#465
Peak Rank
11K
Total Count
146
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Joseph

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef. "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic countries. In Portuguese and Spanish, the name is "José". In Arabic, including in the Quran, the name is spelled يوسف, Yūsuf.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The Bible offers two explanations for the origins of the name Yosef : first, it is compared to the word asaf from the root /'sp/, ' taken away ' : "And she conceived, and bore a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach"; Yosef is then identified with the similar root /ysp/, meaning ' add ' : "And she called his name Joseph; and said, The L ORD shall add to me another son." The Jewish Encyclopedia says that it is a theophoric name referencing the Tetragrammaton , and in fact his name is spelled Jehoseph , with the theophoric first syllable 'Jeho' , once in Psalms. The name can also consis

The Story of Joseph

Joseph first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 2,632 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1956, when 32,748 Josephs were born — ranking #12 that year. As of 2026, Joseph ranks #34 for baby boys with 6,870 births, falling sharply (-21%). In total, more than 2.7M Josephs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Joseph

Phonetically similar names — useful when Joseph is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Joseph

What does the name Joseph mean?
Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef. "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic countries. In Portuguese and Spanish, the name is "José". In Arabic, including in the Quran, the name is spelled يوسف, Yūsuf.
How popular is Joseph in 2026?
In 2026, Joseph ranks #34 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6,870 babies given the name that year.
When was Joseph most popular?
Joseph reached its peak popularity in 1956, ranking #5 that year with 32,748 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Joseph most popular?
Joseph has historically been most popular in Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Joseph.
Is Joseph a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Joseph is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Joseph?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Joseph include Richard, Andrew, Daniel. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Joseph

Joseph is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2.7M births in the dataset. Joseph's peak popularity came in 1956 when it ranked #5. Use the chart and map above to compare Joseph's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.