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Joseph

Joseph is a boy's name of Hebrew and Biblical origin meaning “God shall add.” In 2024 it was given to 7,223 boys in the United States.

Joseph at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
Biblical & Christian · English & American · German
Meaning
“God shall add”
Pronunciation
/ˈd͡ʒəʊzɪf/

About the name Joseph

Joseph belongs to the Biblical & Christian and English & American tradition. Its meaning — “God shall add” — is the sense carried by its Hebrew and Biblical roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Joseph first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #5 in 1912, and in 2024 7,223 babies received the name — 2,662,040 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Joseph in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#5 in 1912
Peak year
1956
Babies named Joseph in 2024
7,223
Total since 1880
2,662,040

Similar names

More names from the Biblical & Christian shelf:

JamesHebrew and BiblicalJohnHebrew and BiblicalMichaelHebrew and BiblicalDavidHebrew and BiblicalThomasHebrew and BiblicalDanielHebrew and BiblicalMatthewHebrew and BiblicalJoshuaHebrew and Biblical

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Joseph mean?

Joseph means “God shall add” in its Hebrew and Biblical roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Joseph a boy or girl name?

Joseph is a boy name. In 2024, 7,223 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Joseph?

Joseph comes from the Biblical & Christian, English & American and German tradition.

How popular is the name Joseph?

Joseph first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #5 in 1912, and 7,223 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Joseph?

Joseph is pronounced /ˈd͡ʒəʊzɪf/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.