Joseph
Pronounced JH OW1 S AH0 F (ARPABET)
- 2 syllables
- Peaked 1956
- 145 years in use
- Biblical
- 1 spelling
How popular is Joseph?
Joseph is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 2,685,672 children — the 7th most common boys' name on record.
It has been slipping, down 40% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1956, when 32,789 children were given it.
Josef is counted with it here, since the two are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Joseph and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Josef
Nicknames
Characteristics
- Biblical (Person)
- 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- JH OW1 S AH0 F · JH OW1 Z AH0 F
- Stress pattern:
- 10 · 10
- Syllables:
- 2
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Joseph
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Joseph
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Joseph?
- Joseph ranks 7th among boys' names in US records, with 2,685,672 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 91,851.
- Is Joseph a unisex name?
- No. Joseph is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Joseph most popular?
- 1956, when 32,789 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- What are common nicknames for Joseph?
- Joe, Joey. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
- How else is Joseph spelled?
- Josef. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.