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Home › Baby Names Directory › Jose

Jose

♀ Girl

Pronounced hoh-SAY /hoʊˈseɪ/Medium

Meaning: Jose is the Spanish form of Joseph, from Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add' or 'God will increase'. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name across the Spanish-speaking world and the United States; girls' use is very rare, and we note the lean clearly. Note that Jose also appears as the second element of girls' compounds such as Maria Jose.Medium

In 30 seconds: The Spanish Joseph: Jose means 'he will add' (said 'hoh-SAY'). It is overwhelmingly a boy's name — we note the lean clearly.
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Origin MediumSpanish, Hebrew
MeaningJose is the Spanish form of Joseph, from Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add' or 'God will increase'. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name across the Spanish-speaking world and the United States; girls' use is very rare, and we note the lean clearly. Note that Jose also appears as the second element of girls' compounds such as Maria Jose.
U.S. rank (2024)#14219 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1990
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,220

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199018912024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Jose is the Spanish form of Joseph — Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add' or 'God will increase' — borne in Scripture by the son of Jacob and by the husband of Mary. In Spanish-speaking countries it has been a cornerstone boys' name for centuries. It appears on the girls' side chiefly within compound names such as María José. Standing alone for a girl it runs strongly against usage, and we say so plainly (said 'hoh-SAY').

For girls it appears only rarely in the U.S., against very heavy boys' use. Classic, weighty, and boy-leaning.

Did you know? Jose is one of the most-used boys' names in the Spanish-speaking world. It does appear on the girls' side inside compounds like Maria Jose — but on its own it is overwhelmingly a boy's name, which we note clearly (said 'hoh-SAY').
Overall data confidence 60%
References — Jose — Spanish form of Joseph; Hebrew Yosef; overwhelmingly male; Maria Jose compounds noted

Variations

JosefaJosefinaJoseph

Nicknames

PepeJoChepe

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Jose…

Josefina— the Spanish feminine of the same name
Josefa— a like feminine form of Joseph
Maria— the name Jose most often pairs with for girls
Joaquin— a like Spanish classic in sound

Explore names like Jose

By themespanishcross-sexbiblical-rootboy-leaning

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Jose mean?

Jose is the Spanish form of Joseph, from Hebrew Yosef — 'he will add' or 'God will increase'.

How do you pronounce Jose?

It's said hoh-SAY /hoʊˈseɪ/ — two syllables, stress on the second.

Is Jose a boy or girl name?

Jose is overwhelmingly a boy's name. For girls it appears mainly inside compounds like Maria Jose; standing alone it is very rare — we note the lean clearly.

How popular is Jose?

Jose is very popular for boys in Spanish-speaking countries and the U.S., and rare for girls.

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