Boy name · Hebrew
José
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: he will addJosé is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "he will add". It is used in Spanish and Portuguese.
- Meaning
- He will add
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- hoh-SEH (Spanish)
Meaning and origin of José
As a boy's name, José comes from Hebrew and means "he will add". It is used in Spanish and Portuguese.
In Spanish, say hoh-SEH. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
José is also a surname: the 2,777th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 12,633 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
José on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about José on 2 lists.
“He will add; Hebrew. The Spanish Joseph; Pepe for short. Say hoh-SEH”
From Mexican boy names, classic Mexican male names
“He will add; Hebrew. Pepe for short. Say hoh-SEH”
From Spanish boy names, classic male Spanish names
How popular is José?
- US rank in 2025
- #95
- 3,678 babies, 2,153 per million boys
- Best rank
- #28 in 2004
- Most babies: 12,868 in 2002
- Babies since 1880
- At least 592,512
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 831 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 830 per million |
| 1900s | 1,198 per million |
| 1910s | 884 per million |
| 1920s | 1,311 per million |
| 1930s | 1,164 per million |
| 1940s | 1,130 per million |
| 1950s | 1,555 per million |
| 1960s | 2,183 per million |
| 1970s | 4,020 per million |
| 1980s | 4,694 per million |
| 1990s | 6,111 per million |
| 2000s | 5,799 per million |
| 2010s | 2,935 per million |
| 2020s | 2,227 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #77 | #81 | #89 | #92 | #94 | #89 | #88 | #93 | #91 | #95 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for José
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Pepecommon Spanish nickname
- Chepecommon Spanish nickname
- Joselitocommon Spanish nickname
Other forms of José
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- BeppeHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- GiuseppeHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- IokepaHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- IosifHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- JoeHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- JoeyHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- JosepHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- JosephHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- JózefHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- JuppHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- PeppeHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- PeppinoHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
Names spelled like José
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- JostGerman form of Judoc, lord (Breton, boy)
- JosuéYahweh is salvation (Hebrew, boy)
- JoelYahweh is God (Hebrew, boy)
- JessePossibly gift, or existence (Hebrew, boy)
- JorgeFarmer, earth worker (Greek, boy)
- JaceShort form of Jason, healer (Greek, boy)
- JieOutstanding, heroic (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
- JisuWise and excellent (depends on characters) (Korean, unisex)
- JoabYahweh is father (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- IsmailGod will hear (Hebrew, boy)
- JosephineHe will add (Hebrew, girl)
- YusufHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- EvdokiaGood will (Greek, girl)
- AchimGod will raise up (Hebrew, boy)
- BukolaAdd to wealth (Yoruba, girl)
- FienHe will add (Hebrew, girl)
- Francisco JoséFrenchman, he will add (Latin and Hebrew, boy)
- GiuseppaHe will add (Hebrew, girl)
- GiuseppinaHe will add (Hebrew, girl)
- HelmaWill and helmet (Germanic, girl)
- IkeHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- IsakHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
Middle names for José
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JonathanYahweh has given (Hebrew, boy)
- SamuelName of God (Hebrew, boy)
- SimonHe has heard (Hebrew, boy)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- AbelBreath (Hebrew, boy)
- BenSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- IbrahimFather of many nations (Hebrew, boy)
- MichaelWho is like God? (Hebrew, boy)
- TobiasGod is good (Hebrew, boy)
José: common questions
What does the name José mean?
José comes from Hebrew and means "he will add".
Is José a boy or girl name?
José is mainly a boy's name.
What are nicknames for José?
Common nicknames for José include Pepe, Chepe and Joselito.
How do you pronounce José?
In Spanish, say hoh-SEH. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name José?
José ranked #95 in the US in 2025, with 3,678 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of José?
Forms of José with the same meaning and origin include Beppe (Italian), Giuseppe (Italian), Iokepa (Hawaiian), Iosif (Greek) and Joe (English).
What middle names go with José?
Middle names that flow well with José include Clark, Dennis, Drake, Ethan and Maximilian. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.