Joseph Name Popularity

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How popular is Joseph?

In 2018 the very popular name Joseph, ranked the 23rd Most Popular Boys Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 50 most popular, Joseph has been a top 50 placer since the Social Security Administration began keeping records in 1880.

Its highest popularity RANKING of #5 was reached for the first time in 1912 and as recently as 1917.

However, the name was bestowed upon the greatest number of babies in 1956 with 32,732 occurrences.

In any year, the least number of babies named Joseph was 2,456 in 1887.

Decidely upward trends in the number of babies given the name Joseph occurred roughly during the years 1889-1892, 1897-1900, 1903-1918, 1943-1947, 1948-1954, and 1975-1980, whereas unequivocal downward movement occurred about 1927-1933, 1963-1967, 1969-1973, 1991-1997, and 1998-2017.

For a number of years, the name Joseph has steadily decreased in popularity. Of late, continuing the trend, the number of parents selecting the name Joseph for their newborn has dropped.

What does the future hold for the popularity of Joseph?

Overall, when compared to its most prominent year, the name's popularity is at a low point.

The name Joseph is favored by many parents but will probably continue to drift downward in popularity.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

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for Percentages.

		Joseph (Girl)		Joseph (Boy)
Year	%	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank
2018		15	7,491	9,555	23
2017		19	6,379	10,437	19
2016		13	8,590	10,918	20
2015		11	9,755	11,487	21
2014		6	15,474	12,118	20
2013		20	6,342	12,248	20
2012		16	7,611	12,565	19
2011		23	5,823	12,967	22
2010		16	7,687	13,830	20
2009		20	6,671	14,920	15
2008		30	4,947	16,575	13
2007		28	5,161	17,338	13
2006		29	4,874	18,445	11
2005		36	3,990	19,217	9
2004		103	1,843	20,125	9
2003		31	4,254	21,367	6
2002		35	3,760	21,895	7
2001		27	4,499	22,011	8
2000		24	4,869	22,831	8
1999		44	3,020	23,213	8
1998		50	2,709	23,181	11
1997		45	2,749	23,595	12
1996		52	2,463	24,754	12
1995		62	2,166	25,345	12
1994		77	1,845	25,730	11
1993		67	2,054	27,008	12
1992		68	2,017	27,898	11
1991		88	1,684	29,834	9
1990		84	1,746	30,128	10
1989		139	1,180	29,872	11
1988		182	931	29,005	12
1987		217	808	28,513	12
1986		208	807	28,835	12
1985		227	755	30,212	10
1984		211	765	30,515	10
1983		211	763	30,460	11
1982		196	812	31,050	11
1981		186	841	30,773	11
1980		217	763	30,203	10
1979		209	769	28,669	11
1978		180	828	26,671	10
1977		176	845	26,493	10
1976		142	920	24,073	12
1975		132	955	22,139	12
1974		124	987	21,838	12
1973		134	922	21,331	12
1972		128	954	22,467	12
1971		148	897	24,523	15
1970		138	931	26,736	16
1969		154	834	26,192	15
1968		134	891	25,403	16
1967		122	931	25,939	15
1966		100	1,045	26,990	15
1965		120	926	28,659	11
1964		118	977	30,550	11
1963		137	897	30,098	13
1962		105	1,055	30,084	13
1961		112	1,032	29,448	12
1960		120	979	29,746	12
1959		92	1,116	29,519	13
1958		81	1,184	30,101	12
1957		94	1,076	31,794	12
1956		84	1,129	32,732	12
1955		86	1,092	31,593	13
1954		76	1,137	31,211	13
1953		59	1,267	29,272	13
1952		68	1,149	28,518	12
1951		53	1,280	28,155	14
1950		64	1,157	27,023	13
1949		56	1,213	26,403	14
1948		69	1,063	26,805	13
1947		68	1,080	27,514	14
1946		61	1,094	24,280	14
1945		58	1,019	20,815	14
1944		81	848	21,173	13
1943		66	981	22,824	13
1942		79	867	22,421	11
1941		66	908	19,803	12
1940		64	897	18,207	12
1939		60	910	17,716	12
1938		75	816	17,735	12
1937		61	886	17,319	12
1936		70	808	17,453	11
1935		76	776	17,183	10
1934		87	715	17,101	10
1933		100	658	17,162	9
1932		104	660	18,563	9
1931		112	626	19,330	9
1930		141	576	20,981	9
1929		159	540	21,162	9
1928		182	513	22,311	9
1927		167	548	23,506	9
1926		161	564	23,759	8
1925		132	637	24,613	7
1924		135	646	25,428	7
1923		106	709	25,561	7
1922		104	716	25,699	7
1921		120	677	26,179	7
1920		112	688	25,591	7
1919		89	749	24,264	7
1918		90	752	26,263	7
1917		94	718	24,762	5
1916		77	783	23,883	5
1915		69	793	23,052	5
1914		69	696	18,829	5
1913		38	860	14,471	5
1912		44	760	12,062	5
1911		28	820	6,488	6
1910		29	802	5,228	6
1909		30	737	4,348	6
1908		21	865	4,162	6
1907		12	1,171	3,844	7
1906		21	810	3,527	7
1905		22	790	3,302	7
1904		18	864	3,291	7
1903		13	1,002	3,121	6
1902		8	1,381	3,098	7
1901		14	900	2,766	6
1900		14	1,031	3,714	7
1899		19	740	2,679	6
1898		23	686	3,171	6
1897		20	706	2,827	6
1896		24	645	3,051	6
1895		23	651	2,992	7
1894		17	730	2,977	6
1893		26	557	2,997	6
1892		13	847	3,064	7
1891		11	866	2,572	7
1890		11	853	2,670	7
1889		7	1,074	2,729	7
1888		18	602	2,993	7
1887		13	649	2,456	7
1886		8	863	2,594	7
1885		14	593	2,540	7
1884		9	766	2,707	7
1883		17	471	2,515	7
1882		6	854	2,670	7
1881		10	560	2,456	7
1880		10	562	2,632	7

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.