Joseph Meaning
What does Joseph mean?
The meaning of Joseph is "G-d shall add (another son)".
Joseph is generally used as a boy's name.
It consists of 6 letters and 2 syllables and is pronounced Jo-sef.
The Given Name Joseph
The name Joseph, its variants and various language forms are all ultimately of Hebrew origin. The name Joseph itself is the English form of the Latin name Ioseph which in turn is derived from the New Testament Greek name Ioseph (Ιωσηφ). The name Ioseph is a form of the Hebrew name Yoseph (יוֹסֵף).
The name Joseph is derived from the Hebrew elements yo an abbreviated form for the Name of the Lord and hoseph meaning "to add".
In the Old Testament, Joseph is the the 11th son of Jacob's 12 sons and thereby the name of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Because he is their father's favorite, Joseph's brothers become jealous and sell him into slavery, telling their father that he has died.
Jacob ends up serving the Pharoah in Egypt as a seer. Eventually he is reconciled with his family when they come looking for food during a famine.
In the New Testament, Joseph is the name of the husband of the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ.
Joseph falls into the name categories biblical, classic, easy nickname.
Some famous bearers of this name include: Joseph 'Run' Simmons, and Joseph Abibos.
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Joseph Popularity
In contrast, the year before it ranked 19 in baby name popularity for boys with 10,437 occurrences. It ranked 6,379 in baby name popularity for girls with 19 occurrences.
The trend's your friend. See how Joseph has changed in popularity since 1880 by visiting the Joseph Name Popularity Page.
Joseph Related Names
Variants of the name Joseph include Joesph.
The names Giuseppe, Hovhannes, Ioseb, Ioseph, Iosephos, Iosif, Iuceph, Jazeps, Jolene, Joosef, Joosep, Jooseppi, Jose, Joseba, Josebe, Josee, Josef, Josefa, Josefiina, Josefina, Joselito, Joseluis, Josep, Josepe, Josepha, Josephe, Josephine, Josephs, Josephus, Josepth, Joses, Joseth, Josetta, Josette, Josian, Josif, Josip, Joska, Jospeh, Joze, Jozef, Jozefa, Jozefo, Jozey, Jozka, Jozo, Jozsa, Jozsef, Jozsi, Juozapas, Juozas, Osip, Pepca, Pepik, Pepillo, Sefa, Seosaidh, Seosamh, Seosaph, Sepp, Txanton, Yosefu, Yoseph, Yosepha, Yosephina, Yoska, Yossel, Yosyp, Youseph, Yousif, Youssef, Yousuf, Yusef, Yussel, Yusuf are all forms of Joseph.
Joseph has the diminutives (nicknames) Jody, Joe, Joey, Josey.
Famous Josephs
- Joseph ~ Biblical Character (1 Chr. 25:2, Ezra 10:42, Gen. 30:23/Gen. 41:45, Luke 3:24, Luke 3:26, Luke 3:30, Matt. 13:55, Matt. 1:16, Matt. 27:56, Neh. 12:14, Num. 13:7, Matt. 27:57), Saint
- Joseph 'Run' Simmons ~ Musician
- Joseph Abibos ~ Saint
- Joseph Beuys ~ Artist
- Joseph Brennan ~ Basketball Player
- Joseph Brodsky ~ Nobel Prize for Literature 1987
- Joseph Caillaux ~ French Prime Minister (1911-1912)
- Joseph Canh ~ Saint
- Joseph Chang Song jib ~ Saint
- Joseph Cho Yun ho ~ Saint
- Joseph Conrad ~ Writer
- Joseph Cook ~ Australian Prime Minister (1913-1914)
- Joseph Erlanger ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 1944
- Joseph Estrada ~ Actor
- Joseph Fiennes ~ Actor
- Joseph Freinademetz ~ Saint
- Joseph Gargery ~ Great Expectations character
- Joseph Gerard ~ Saint
- Joseph Goebbels ~ German Chancellor (1945)
- Joseph Gordon Levitt ~ Actor
- Joseph Haydn ~ Classical Musician
- Joseph Heller ~ Writer
- Joseph Hien Quang Do ~ Saint
- Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr. ~ Nobel Prize for Physics 1993
- Joseph I ~ German King (1705-1711), Austrian Ruler (1705-1711)
- Joseph II ~ Austrian Ruler (1780-1790), German King (1765-1790)
- Joseph Justus ~ Biblical Character (Acts 1:23)
- Joseph Khang ~ Saint
- Joseph L. Goldstein ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 1985
- Joseph Laniel ~ French Prime Minister (1953-1954)
- Joseph Louis Gay Lussac ~ Scientist
- Joseph Luu ~ Saint
- Joseph Lyons ~ Australian Prime Minister (1932-1939)
- Joseph Marchand ~ Saint
- Joseph Marie Cassant ~ Saint
- Joseph Marie Jacquard ~ Scientist
- Joseph Mascolo ~ Actor
- Joseph Mukasa ~ Saint
- Joseph Murray ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 1990
- Joseph Nghi ~ Saint
- Joseph Nien Vien ~ Saint
- Joseph of Palestine ~ Saint
- Joseph of Persia ~ Saint
- Joseph of Saint Hyacinth ~ Saint
- Joseph of Volokolamsk ~ Saint
- Joseph Paul Boncour ~ French Prime Minister (1932-1933)
- Joseph Peter Uyen ~ Saint
- Joseph Pulitzer ~ Business Mogul
- Joseph Rotblat ~ Nobel Prize for Peace 1995
- Joseph Schildkraut ~ Actor
- Joseph Sedley ~ Vanity Fair character
- Joseph Stiglitz ~ Nobel Prize for Economics 2001
- Joseph Tchang Ta Pong ~ Saint
- Joseph the Hymnographer ~ Saint
- Joseph Thi Dang Le ~ Saint
- Joseph Vaz ~ Saint
- Joseph Vien Dinh Dang ~ Saint
- Joseph von Fraunhofer ~ Scientist
- Joseph Wharton ~ Business Mogul
- Joseph Wirth ~ German Chancellor (1921-1922)
- Joseph Yuen ~ Saint
- Joseph Zhang Wenlan ~ Saint
Joseph Numerology
Destiny Number, Life Path Number, Soul Urge and Personality Number. These Numerological numbers may tell your child's story. Take a look at the Numerology Of Joseph.
Children named Joseph are often dynamic and dependable but most of all they are read more >>
Joseph Name Fun
Then just follow the diagram below.
Be creative with the name Joseph. Just for fun, see the name Joseph in Hieroglyphics, learn about ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics and write a Hieroglyphic message.
Learn about nautical flags and see your name or message written in nautical flags, on the Joseph in Nautical Flags page.