Joseph
Hebrew Yosef, “he will add,” from Rachel’s wish for another son.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Husband of the Virgin Mary and the dreamer of Genesis, an anchor name for Catholic and Jewish families alike.
Joseph appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 2025. It spent 70 years inside the top 10. Its biggest year was 1956, when 32,749 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 12 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1912, at No. 5. In 2025 it ranked No. 29 for boys. All told, 2,680,213 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Joesph (15,662), Josef (9,158), Joeseph (2,849), Jozef (1,201) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Jose, Rachel, Joe, Josephine, Jo, Jodi
Explore Joseph interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 26,292 | No. 7 |
| 1890s | 29,000 | No. 6 |
| 1900s | 35,173 | No. 6 |
| 1910s | 179,300 | No. 5 |
| 1920s | 243,809 | No. 7 |
| 1930s | 180,566 | No. 9 |
| 1940s | 230,285 | No. 11 |
| 1950s | 300,012 | No. 12 |
| 1960s | 283,048 | No. 11 |
| 1970s | 244,825 | No. 10 |
| 1980s | 299,411 | No. 10 |
| 1990s | 260,751 | No. 8 |
| 2000s | 194,962 | No. 6 |
| 2010s | 115,722 | No. 18 |
| 2020s | 46,334 | No. 26 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.