Boy name · Hebrew
Joseph
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: he will addJoseph is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "he will add". It is used in English, French and German.
- Meaning
- He will add
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #29 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Joseph
As a boy's name, Joseph comes from Hebrew and means "he will add". It is used in English, French and German.
Joseph is also a surname: the 283rd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 108,935 people. See the most common last names.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Joseph on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Joseph on 3 lists.
“He will add; Hebrew. Dreaming son of Jacob, Genesis”
From Biblical names, biblical names for boys
“He will add; Hebrew. A family-honoring favorite”
From Boy middle names, classic boy middle names
“He will add; Hebrew. Joe for short; a top name since the 1800s”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
How popular is Joseph?
- US rank in 2025
- #29
- 7,303 babies, 4,276 per million boys
- Best rank
- #5 in 1912
- Most babies: 32,749 in 1956
- Babies since 1880
- At least 2,669,490
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 24,002 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 25,417 per million |
| 1900s | 25,909 per million |
| 1910s | 26,861 per million |
| 1920s | 22,125 per million |
| 1930s | 17,088 per million |
| 1940s | 15,469 per million |
| 1950s | 14,839 per million |
| 1960s | 14,694 per million |
| 1970s | 14,823 per million |
| 1980s | 16,220 per million |
| 1990s | 13,386 per million |
| 2000s | 9,767 per million |
| 2010s | 6,154 per million |
| 2020s | 4,471 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20 | #18 | #23 | #24 | #26 | #28 | #30 | #29 | #32 | #29 |
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 Joseph
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Joecommon English nickname
- Joeycommon English nickname
- Joscommon English nickname
Other forms of Joseph
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)
- JoséHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- JosepHe 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 Joseph
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- JosiahYahweh supports (Hebrew, boy)
- JosebaBasque form of Joseph (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)
Middle names for Joseph
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter 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)
Joseph: common questions
What does the name Joseph mean?
Joseph comes from Hebrew and means "he will add". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Joseph a boy or girl name?
Joseph is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 12 girls and 7,303 boys in the US were named Joseph, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Joseph?
Common nicknames for Joseph include Joe, Joey and Jos.
How popular is the name Joseph?
Joseph ranked #29 in the US in 2025, with 7,303 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Joseph?
Forms of Joseph with the same meaning and origin include Beppe (Italian), Giuseppe (Italian), Iokepa (Hawaiian), Iosif (Greek) and Joe (English).
What middle names go with Joseph?
Middle names that flow well with Joseph include Beau, Ford, Hugh, Luke and Peter. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.