Joseph

Meaning: God will add
Origin: Hebrew

Nicknames: Joe, Joey, Joby, Joie, Jos

Boy's name · #29 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Popularity over time

Joseph has held steady since 1880, standing at #29 in 2025. At one stretch it held the national top 10 for 56 consecutive years.

Across the states

See where Joseph is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Joseph ranks in other countries and regions.

#33 in Australia (NSW) (2025) · #54 in N. Ireland (2025) · #55 in Australia (QLD) (2025) · #59 in England & Wales (2025) · #64 in Ireland (2025) · #64 in New Zealand (2025) · #65 in Canada (2025) · #65 in Scotland (2025) · #66 in Australia (VIC) (2025) · #67 in Ecuador (2025) · #77 in France (2025) · #148 in Puerto Rico (2025) and 10 more.

Famous Josephs

Joseph Stalin — Leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1953 (c. 1878–1953)
Joseph Haydn — Austrian composer (1732–1809)
Joseph Fourier — French mathematician and physicist (1768–1830)
Joseph Conrad — Polish-British writer (1857–1924)
Joseph Brodsky — Russian poet (1940–1996)
Joseph Smith — Founder of the Latter Day Saint movement (1805–1844)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt — American actor (born 1981)
Joseph Fiennes — English actor (born 1970)
Joseph McCarthy — American politician (1908–1957)
Joseph Quinn — British actor (born 1994)

In stories & tradition

Joseph — Husband of Mary and legal father of Jesus
Joseph of Arimathea — Biblical figure responsible for Jesus's burial
Joseph — Biblical figure, son of Jacob and Rachel

What Josephs become

Among 19,787 notable people named Joseph:

Lawyers & judges appear 2.08× more often than among typical names — e.g. Joseph de Maistre, Savoyard philosopher, writer, lawyer, and diplomat (1753–1821).

Twin names

Popular twin pairings with Joseph include Jacob, Joshua, and John for boys.

Spellings & nicknames

About 270 boys a year are given Joe as their full name and 260 Joey.

Similar names: David · John · James · Joshua · Daniel · Matthew

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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