Boy nameCurrently #32 in the USFalling
Joseph
JOH-suf//ˈdʒoʊzəf//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19566 lettersStarts with J
Meaning & origin
God will add, God will increase
Joseph comes from the Hebrew meaning 'God will add' or increase, and belongs in Genesis to the favored son sold into slavery by his brothers who later rises to power in Egypt; in the New Testament, Joseph is also the earthly father of Jesus. One of the most enduring names in Western history, it remains a warm, dependable classic.
Joseph's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Joseph |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 2,642 |
| 1881 | 2,466 |
| 1882 | 2,676 |
| 1883 | 2,532 |
| 1884 | 2,716 |
| 1885 | 2,554 |
| 1886 | 2,602 |
| 1887 | 2,469 |
| 1888 | 3,011 |
| 1889 | 2,736 |
| 1890 | 2,681 |
| 1891 | 2,583 |
| 1892 | 3,077 |
| 1893 | 3,023 |
| 1894 | 2,994 |
| 1895 | 3,015 |
| 1896 | 3,075 |
| 1897 | 2,847 |
| 1898 | 3,194 |
| 1899 | 2,698 |
| 1900 | 3,728 |
| 1901 | 2,780 |
| 1902 | 3,106 |
| 1903 | 3,134 |
| 1904 | 3,309 |
| 1905 | 3,324 |
| 1906 | 3,548 |
| 1907 | 3,856 |
| 1908 | 4,183 |
| 1909 | 4,378 |
| 1910 | 5,257 |
| 1911 | 6,516 |
| 1912 | 12,106 |
| 1913 | 14,509 |
| 1914 | 18,898 |
| 1915 | 23,120 |
| 1916 | 23,960 |
| 1917 | 24,855 |
| 1918 | 26,351 |
| 1919 | 24,355 |
| 1920 | 25,699 |
| 1921 | 26,302 |
| 1922 | 25,803 |
| 1923 | 25,667 |
| 1924 | 25,556 |
| 1925 | 24,746 |
| 1926 | 23,917 |
| 1927 | 23,672 |
| 1928 | 22,501 |
| 1929 | 21,324 |
| 1930 | 21,122 |
| 1931 | 19,439 |
| 1932 | 18,669 |
| 1933 | 17,262 |
| 1934 | 17,197 |
| 1935 | 17,258 |
| 1936 | 17,522 |
| 1937 | 17,384 |
| 1938 | 17,815 |
| 1939 | 17,783 |
| 1940 | 18,271 |
| 1941 | 19,874 |
| 1942 | 22,508 |
| 1943 | 22,892 |
| 1944 | 21,257 |
| 1945 | 20,879 |
| 1946 | 24,345 |
| 1947 | 27,589 |
| 1948 | 26,871 |
| 1949 | 26,463 |
| 1950 | 27,086 |
| 1951 | 28,200 |
| 1952 | 28,578 |
| 1953 | 29,328 |
| 1954 | 31,300 |
| 1955 | 31,671 |
| 1956 | 32,831 |
| 1957 | 31,946 |
| 1958 | 30,190 |
| 1959 | 29,629 |
| 1960 | 29,864 |
| 1961 | 29,566 |
| 1962 | 30,194 |
| 1963 | 30,217 |
| 1964 | 30,682 |
| 1965 | 28,753 |
| 1966 | 27,083 |
| 1967 | 26,049 |
| 1968 | 25,530 |
| 1969 | 26,331 |
| 1970 | 26,856 |
| 1971 | 24,662 |
| 1972 | 22,584 |
| 1973 | 21,461 |
| 1974 | 21,959 |
| 1975 | 22,259 |
| 1976 | 24,198 |
| 1977 | 26,661 |
| 1978 | 26,847 |
| 1979 | 28,862 |
| 1980 | 30,402 |
| 1981 | 30,950 |
| 1982 | 31,237 |
| 1983 | 30,655 |
| 1984 | 30,722 |
| 1985 | 30,446 |
| 1986 | 29,040 |
| 1987 | 28,736 |
| 1988 | 29,201 |
| 1989 | 30,021 |
| 1990 | 30,218 |
| 1991 | 29,927 |
| 1992 | 27,970 |
| 1993 | 27,080 |
| 1994 | 25,809 |
| 1995 | 25,414 |
| 1996 | 24,810 |
| 1997 | 23,648 |
| 1998 | 23,236 |
| 1999 | 23,263 |
| 2000 | 22,867 |
| 2001 | 22,057 |
| 2002 | 21,953 |
| 2003 | 21,423 |
| 2004 | 20,248 |
| 2005 | 19,271 |
| 2006 | 18,496 |
| 2007 | 17,389 |
| 2008 | 16,627 |
| 2009 | 14,969 |
| 2010 | 13,867 |
| 2011 | 13,017 |
| 2012 | 12,605 |
| 2013 | 12,296 |
| 2014 | 12,157 |
| 2015 | 11,540 |
| 2016 | 10,974 |
| 2017 | 10,504 |
| 2018 | 9,692 |
| 2019 | 9,190 |
| 2020 | 8,488 |
| 2021 | 8,163 |
| 2022 | 7,837 |
| 2023 | 7,280 |
| 2024 | 7,223 |
Joseph through the decades
- Joseph peaked in 1956, when 32,831 babies were named Joseph in the US.
- The 1980s were Joseph's strongest decade, averaging 30,141 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Joseph has fallen 40% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Joseph currently ranks #32 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
JoeJoey
Variants & spellings
JoséGiuseppe