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Home › Baby Names Directory › Joseph

Joseph

♀ Girl

Pronounced JOH-suf /ˈdʒoʊ.zəf/High

Meaning: Joseph is Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add; God will add (another son)' — one of the most enduring names in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name; its appearance here for a girl is rare and unusual, and we state that lean plainly rather than soften it.High

In 30 seconds: Joseph is Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add' — and it is overwhelmingly a boy's name. Listed here for a girl, which is rare and unusual (said 'JOH-suf').
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Origin HighHebrew
MeaningJoseph is Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add; God will add (another son)' — one of the most enduring names in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions. It is overwhelmingly a boys' name; its appearance here for a girl is rare and unusual, and we state that lean plainly rather than soften it.
U.S. rank (2023)#8691 ↗ Rising
2023 U.S. births12 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1985
Total births (all-time)≈ 10,706

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198518802023

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

Joseph comes from Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add; God will add another son'. It is the name of the patriarch sold into Egypt, of the husband of Mary, and of Yusuf in the Quran, and it has been in unbroken use as a boys' name across Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities for millennia. It is listed here for a girl — that is a rare and unusual usage, and we flag it plainly rather than treat it as unisex.

For girls it appears only very rarely in the U.S., against vast and continuous boys' use. Overwhelmingly a boy's name.

Did you know? Joseph has been a boys' name for thousands of years — Yosef in Hebrew, 'he will add' — carried by the patriarch with the coat of many colours, by the husband of Mary, and by Yusuf in the Quran. Its use for a girl is rare and unusual, and we flag that clearly (said 'JOH-suf').
Overall data confidence 85%
References — Joseph — Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add'; overwhelmingly male usage

Variations

JosephineJosefaYosef

Nicknames

JoJosieJoey

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Joseph…

Josephine— the established feminine of Joseph
Josefina— the Spanish feminine of the same name
Joanna— a like classic Jo- girls' name
Johanna— a like Hebrew-rooted Jo- pick

Explore names like Joseph

By themebiblicalclassiccross-sexboy-leaning

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Joseph mean?

Joseph is Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add; God will add'. It is one of the oldest and most widely used names in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions.

How do you pronounce Joseph?

It's said JOH-suf /ˈdʒoʊ.zəf/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Joseph a boy or girl name?

Joseph is overwhelmingly a boy's name. It is listed here for a girl, which is rare and unusual — most families choosing a girls' form pick Josephine or Josefina.

How popular is Joseph?

Joseph is an enduring classic for boys; for girls it is very rare and unusual.

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