# Joseph

Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף‎). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic countries. In Portuguese and Spanish, the name is "José". In Arabic, including in the Quran, the name is spelled يوسف, Yūsuf. In Kurdish (Kurdî), the name is Ûsiv or Yûsiv, Persian, the name is Yousef, and in Turkish it is Yusuf. In Pashto the name is spelled Esaf (ايسپ) and in Malayalam it is spelled Ousep (ഔസേപ്പ്). In Tamil, it is spelled as Yosepu (யோசேப்பு).
The name has enjoyed significant popularity in its many forms in numerous countries, and Joseph was one of the two names, along with Robert, to have remained in the top 10 boys' names list in the US from 1925 to 1972. It is especially common in contemporary Israel, as either "Yossi" or "Yossef", and in Italy, where the name "Giuseppe" was the most common male name in the 20th century. In the first century CE, Joseph was the second most popular male name for Israeli Jews.
In the Book of Genesis Joseph is Jacob's eleventh son and Rachel's first son, and known in the Hebrew Bible as Yossef ben-Yaakov. In the New Testament the most notable two are Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus; and Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus who supplied the tomb in which Jesus was buried.

## Etymology

The Bible offers two explanations for the origins of the name Yosef: first, it is compared to the word asaf from the root /'sp/, 'taken away': "And she conceived, and bore a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach"; Yosef is then identified with the similar root /ysp/, meaning 'add': "And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son." The Jewish Encyclopedia says that it is a theophoric name referencing the Tetragrammaton, and in fact his name is spelled Jehoseph, with the theophoric first syllable 'Jeho', once in Psalms. The name can also consist of the Hebrew yadah meaning "praise", "fame" and the word asaf.

## Variants, diminutives and familiar forms in other languages

Variations for males include:
* Afrikaans: Josef, Joesoef
* Albanian: Jozef, Zef, Josif, Jozë, Isuf, Bep, Bibë
* Alemmanic: Sepp, Seppu
* Alsatian: Sepp
* Amharic: ዮሴፍ (Yosēfi)
* Aragonese: Chusep, Chusé
* Aramaic: ܝܰܘܣܶܦ (Yawsef, Yowsef)
* Armenian: Հովսեփ, Յովսէփ (Hovsep)
* Arabic: يوسف (Yūsif, Youssef, Yussef, Yousif, Yousef, Youssof, Yūsuf)
* Arpitan: Dzozè
* Azerbaijani: Yusif, Yusuf, Usub
* Basque: Joseba, Josepe
* Bavarian: Sepp, Bepperl, Beppe, Beppi,
* Belarusian: Іосіф (Iosif), Язэп (Jazep)
* Bengali: ইউসুফ (Iusuf or Yusuf) (Islamic), জোসেফ (Josef) (Christian)
* Bosnian: Josip, Jusuf
* Breton: Jozef, Jozeb
* Bulgarian: Йосиф (Yosif)
* Burmese (Myanmar): ယောသပ်သည် (Yaw sautsai)
* Cantonese: 約瑟 (Joek$^3$ sat$^1$)
* Catalan: Josep, Pep (shortened form), Jep (an alternative shortened form)
* Circassian: Юсыф (Yusyf)
* Cornish: Josep
* Corsican: Ghjaseppu, Ghjiseppu; Diminutives: Ghjasè, Ghjisè
* Croatian: Josip, Joso, Jozo, Joza, Joze, Joško, Joža, Jože, Bepo, Bepi, Bapi, Pino, Osíp, Bozo, Gonzo, Ganso
* Czech: Josef; Diminutives: Pepa, Peppa, Pepík, Pepik, Jožka, Pepan, Pepča, Pepek, Pepino, Jožin
* Danish: Josef
* Dutch: Jozef, Josephus; Diminutives: Joep, Joost, Jos, Jo, Jef, Seppe
* English: Joseph, Diminutives: Jo, Joe, Joey, Josy, Jossy, Josey, Jos, Josie
* Estonian: Joosep, Joosu
* Faroese: Jósef
* Fijian: Josefa
* Filipino: Joseph, José, Pepe, Peping, Sep, Jojo
* Finnish: Jooseppi, Juuso
* French: José, Joseph, Jojo
* Friulian: Josef, 'Sef, 'Sefin, 'Sefut, Bepi, Bepo, Beput
* Galician: Xosé
* Georgian: იოსებ (Ioseb), სოსო (Soso)
* German: Joscha, Josef, Joseph; Jupp (familiar); Sepp, Seppl or Pepi (familiar or diminutive forms, particularly in South Germany and Austria)
* Greek: Ιωσήφ (Iosif), Ιώσηπος (Iosipos), Σήφης (Sifis) (local in Crete)
* Gujarati: જોસેફ (Jōsēfa)
* Hawaiian: Iokepa
* Hebrew: יוסף (Yosef), יוסי (Yossi) (diminutive)
* Hiligaynon: José, Josef, Josep (rare)
* Hindi: यूसुफ (Yūsuf)
* Hungarian: József, Jóska, Józsi (diminutive)
* Icelandic: Jósef, Jói
* Igbo: Yôsēp̄, Yossef, Josef
* Indonesian: Joesoef, Josef, Joseph, Jusuf, Ucup, Yosef, Yosep, Yusuf, Yusup, Yoseph
* Italian: Giuseppe, Giù, Beppe, Peppe, Peppino, Pepino, Pino, Bepi, Beppo, Pippo, Puccio, Gioseffo, Gio or Giò
* Irish: Seosamh, Iósaf
* Japanese: ヨセフ (Yosefu), ジョセフ (Josefu)
* Kambaata: Yeseffe, Yese, Josse, Jossy
* Kannada: ಜೋಸೆಫ್ (Jōseph)
* Kashmiri: یوٗسف (Yūsuf)
* Kazakh: Yusuf, Jusip
* Khmer: យ៉ូសែប (Yousaep)
* Korean: 요셉 (Yosep), 조셉 (Josep)
* Kurdish (Kurdî): Ûsiv, Yûsiv
* Kyrgyz: Жусуп (Jusup), Юс
* Latvian: Jāzeps, Jozefs, Josefs, Josifs, Džozefs, Žozefs, Jusufs, Jozis, Zeps, Seps
* Limburgish: Joep, Sef
* Lithuanian: Juozapas, Juozas (shorter form), Juzas, Juzė (diminutive), Justas
* Lombard: Usèp, Jusèp, Bèp
* Macedonian: Јосиф (J̌osif)
* Malayalam: ജോസപ്പ് (Josapp) or ജോസപ്പൻ (Josappan), ഔസേപ്പ് (Ousepp), യോസേപ്പ് (Yosepp), കൊച്ചാപ്പു (Kochaappu), ഈപ്പൻ (Eeppan), ജോസഫ് (Jōsaph), ഐപ്പ് (Iype)
* Malaysian: Yusuf, Yusop, Yusoff, Jusoh, Eusoff, Usop
* Manado Malay: Josef, Yosef, Oce'
* Maltese: Ġużeppi, Ġużi, Ġuż, Ġużè, Peppi, Peppu, Peppinu, Pepp, Peppa, Pepa, Żeppi, Żeppu, Żepp
* Mandarin: simplified Chinese: 约瑟; traditional Chinese: 約瑟; pinyin: (Yuēsè), simplified Chinese: 约瑟夫; traditional Chinese: 約瑟夫; pinyin: (Yuēsèfū), Chinese: 玉素甫; pinyin: Yùsùfǔ, Zho-Zi-Fu
* Marathi: योसेफ (Jōsēfa)
* Māori: Hohepa
* Mongolian: Иосеф (Iosyef)
* Nepali: यूसुफ (Yūsupha)
* Norwegian: Josef
* Occitan: Josèp
* Persian: يوسف (Youssef, Yūsuf, Yussef)
* Polish: Józef, Józek (diminutive), Józio (diminutive)
* Portuguese: José, Josefo, Joséf; diminutive forms: Zé, Zeca, Zezé
* Provençal: Jóusè
* Punjabi: ਯੂਸੁਫ਼ (Yūsufa)
* Quechua: Husiy
* Romanian: Iosif, Iosub
* Romansch: Giusep, Gisep, Giusi, Sepp
* Russian: Иосиф (Iosif), Осип (Osip), Пеппа (Peppa)
* Samoan: Iosefa, Sefa
* Sardinian: Josepe, Zosepe, Gisepu
* Scottish Gaelic: Seòsaidh, Eòsaph, Iòsaph
* Serbian: Јосиф (Josif), Јосип (Josip), Јосеф (Josef), Јозеф (Jozef)
* Sepedi: Josefa
* Sicilian: Giuseppi
* Silesian: Zefel, Zeflik (diminutive)
* Sinhala: ජුසේ (Juse), ජෝසේෆ් (Jōsēf)
* Slovak: Jozef, Jožo, Dodo, Ďoďo, Dodô, Doido
* Slovene: Jožef, Jože
* Somali: Yuusuf
* Spanish: José; hypocoristic versions: Pepe, Chepe, Che, Cheo, Chelo
* Sundanese: Ucup, Yusup, Yosep
* Swahili: Yusuph, Yusufu, Yosefu
* Swedish: Josef
* Sylheti: য়ুসুফ (Yusuf)
* Syriac: ܝܘܣܦ (Yosip, Yausef, Ossi)
* Tagalog: Jose, Pepe, Peping
* Tamil: சூசை (sūsai), யோசேப்பு (yōcēppu)
* Tajik: Юсуф (Yusuf)
* Telugu: యోసేపు (Yōsepu)
* Thai: โจเซฟ (Co sef, Josef)
* Tongan: Siosefa
* Turkish: Yusuf
* Turkmen: Yusup
* Ukrainian: Йосип (Josyp), Осип (Osyp)
* Urdu: يوسف (Yūsuf)
* Uzbek: Yusuf
* Valencian: Josep
* Venetian: Juxepe, Bepi, Bepin, Bapi
* Vietnamese: Giu-se or Giô-xếp or Yuse or Giô-sép
* Vilamovian: Juza
* Welsh: Joseff, Ioseff (or, less commonly, Iosep)
* Yiddish: Yissl, Yussel, Jayzl
* Yoruba: Josefu, Yusufu
* Shona: Joze, Joza
* Zulu: uJosef

### Female forms

* Albanian: Jozefina, Zefina
* Catalan: Josepa, Pepa, Peppa (shortened)
* Cornish: Josepa
* Croatian: Josipa, Josica, Jozica
* Czech: Josefina, Josefa, Jozeva
* Dutch: José, Josefien
* English: Jo, Josephine, Joette, Posy, Posie
* French: Joséphine, Josephte, Josepthe
* Friulian: Josefe, 'Sefe, Pine
* Greek: Ιωσηφίνα (Iosiphina)
* Hungarian: Jozefa, Jozefina, Józsa
* Indonesian: Josephine, Yosephine, Josefina, Yosepha, Josefina
* Irish: Seosaimhín
* Italian: Giuseppa, Giuseppina
* Maltese: Ġuża, Ġużeppa
* Norwegian: Josefine, Josephine
* Polish: Józefina, Józefa, Józia (shortened)
* Portuguese: Josefa, Josefina, José (mainly in the compound Maria José), Zezé (nickname)
* Romansh: Giuseppa, Giuseppina
* Samoan: Iosefina
* Sardinian: Josepa, Zosepa, Zosepedda
* Slovak: Jozefína, Jozefa
* Spanish: Josefa, Josefina, Josefita
* Swedish: Josefin, Josefine, Josephine, Josefina
* Yiddish: Jayzl, Yissl

## People
### Biblical figures

* Joseph (Genesis), son of Jacob in the Hebrew Bible book of Genesis
* Saint Joseph, husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus
* Joseph of Arimathea, secret disciple of Jesus
* Joseph Barsabbas, one of two candidates to replace Judas Iscariot's position among the Twelve Apostles
* Joseph ben Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest related to the crucifixion of Jesus. Only written as 'Caiaphas' in the New Testament.

### Royalty

* Austria
** Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
** Joseph II of Austria
** Franz Joseph I of Austria
** Archduke Joseph August of Austria
** Archduke Joseph Ferdinand of Austria
* Portugal
** Joseph I of Portugal, King of Portugal
** Joseph, Prince of Brazil
** Joseph, General Inquisitor (1720–1801) – a natural son of King John V of Portugal, one of the Children of Palhavã.
* Spain/Italy/France
** Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, King of Naples
* Other
** Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria
** Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, King of Bavaria
** Joseph (Khazar), king of the Khazars during the 950s and 960s
** Joseph Bonaparte, King of Naples and Spain

### Politics and government

* Chief Joseph (1840–1904), Nez Perce tribal leader
* Joseph "Jo" Abbott (1840–1908), U.S. congressman from Texas
* John Joseph Abercrombie (1798–1877), career U.S. Army officer
* Joseph Arthur Ankrah (1915–1992), 2nd president of Ghana from 1966 to 1969
* Joseph F. Baca (born 1936), chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court
* Joseph Belmont (1947–2022), Seychellois politician
* Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden (born 1942), 46th president of the United States (2021–2025); 47th vice president of the United States (2009–2017); U.S. senator from Delaware (1973–2009)
* Joseph "Beau" Robinette Biden (1969–2015), American lawyer, soldier and politician, son of Joe Biden
* Joseph Caillaux (1863–1944), French politician and Minister of France
* Joseph Carraro (born 1944), former New Mexico state senator
* Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914), British statesman, diplomats, and businessman
* Joseph Warren Coker (1930–2019), American politician
* Joseph Cook (1860–1947), 6th prime minister of Australia
* Joseph Dudley (1647–1720), British military commander and colonial administrator
* Joseph Estrada (born 1937), 13th president of the Philippines
* Joseph Galletta, American politician
* Joseph Isaac Gnanamuttu (died 1944), Sri Lankan Tamil politician
* Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945), German politician and propaganda minister of Nazi Germany
* Joseph A. Greene, state senator in South Carolina
* Joseph Hemphill (1770–1842), U.S. congressman from Pennsylvania
* Joseph Coulon de Jumonville (1718–1754), French Canadian military officer
* Joseph Kabila (born 1971), 4th president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Joseph Kabui (1954–2008), first president of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
* Jusuf Kalla (born 1942), 10th vice president of Indonesia (2004–2009); 12th vice president of Indonesia (2014–2019)
* Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888–1969), American businessman, financier and politician
* Joseph P. Kennedy II (born 1952), oldest son of Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and former congressman from Massachusetts
* Joe Kennedy III (born 1980), son of Joseph P. Kennedy II and former congressman from Massachusetts
* Joe Kennedy (Georgia politician) (1930–1997), American politician from Georgia
* Joseph Abu Khalil (1925–2019), Lebanese politician and journalist
* Joe Lieberman (1942–2024), U.S. senator from Connecticut
* Joseph Lyons (1879–1939), 10th prime minister of Australia
* Joseph de Maistre (1753–1821), French diplomat
* Joseph Carlisle McAlhany (1915–2005), American politician
* Joseph McCarthy (1908–1957), U.S. senator from Wisconsin
* Joseph Henry Mensah (1928–2018), Ghanaian economist and politician
* Joseph Bennet Odunton (1920–2004), Ghanaian civil servant
* Joseph Michael Perera (1941–2023), Sri Lankan politician
* Joseph Yuvaraj Pillay (born 1934), Singaporean civil servant
* Joseph Planta (1787–1847), English politician
* Joseph "Beppo" Schmid (1901–1956), Air force general in Nazi Germany
* Joseph Hill Sinex (1819–1892), Pennsylvania State Representative
* Joseph Plunkett (1887–1916), Irish Republican and Poet
* Joseph Howland (1834–1886), American general, politician, and philanthropist
* Joseph Stalin (1878–1953), General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, 1922–1953
* Joseph Vidal (1933–2020), French politician
* Joseph Wapasha (c. 1816–1876), Mdewakanton Sioux chief

### Arts and entertainment

* Joseph Albrier, French painter
* Joe Alwyn, British actor
* Joseph Barbera, American cartoonist
* Joseph Bertolozzi (born 1959), American composer
* Joseph Beuys, German artist
* Joseph Bitangcol, Filipino actor
* Joseph Brodsky, Russian and American poet and essayist
* Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, Indian actor
* Harry Connick, Jr. (Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr.), American singer, actor and pianist
* Joseph Connors, American art historian
* Joseph Conrad, Polish-British writer
* Joseph Cotten, American actor
* Joseph Delaney (1945–2022), English author
* Joseph Dempsie, British actor
* Joseph Dennie, American writer
* Joe Dolan, Irish showband singer
* Joseph Garrett (born 1990), known online as stampylonghead, British YouTube personality
* Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor
* Joseph Hahn, American musician
* Joe Hawley, American singer, songwriter, and musician
* Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer
* Joseph Heller, American author
* Michael Joseph Jackson (1958–2009), American singer
* Joe Jonas, lead vocals, the Jonas Brothers
* Joseph Kaiser, Canadian opera singer
* Joseph Koo, Hong Kong composer and arranger
* Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American film director, producer and screenwriter
* Joseph Marco, Filipino actor
* Joseph May, British-born Canadian-American actor
* Joseph Mawle, British actor
* Joseph Mazzello, American actor
* Joe McElderry, British singer and winner of The X Factor
* Joseph Carey Merrick, the "Elephant Man"
* Joseph Peter Moraes Fernando, also known as Premnath Moraes (1923–1998), Sri Lankan Tamil actor, film director and screenwriter
* Joseph Nevels, also known as JSPH, singer/songwriter
* Joe Pasquale, winner of the 4th series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
* Joe Perry, Aerosmith lead guitarist
* Joe Pesci, American actor
* Joseph Pickett, American painter
* Joe Ranft, American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor
* Joe Ruby (1933–2020), American cartoonist and producer
* Joe Sasto, American chef
* Joe Satriani, instrumental rock guitarist
* Joseph Simmons, aka DJ Run, of rap group Run-DMC
* Joseph Simmons (guitarist), American guitarist
* Joe Strummer, English musician
* Joe Sugg, British YouTuber
* Joseph Tetsuro Bizinger, known online as The Anime Man, Japanese Australian YouTuber, voice actor, songwriter, and podcaster
* Joss Whedon, American screenwriter, director and producer
* Joseph Wiseman (1918–2009), Canadian actor

### Sports

* Joseph "Doc" Alexander, American NFL football player and coach
* Joseph Anoa'i, Samoan-American wrestler
* Jos Buttler, English cricketer
* Joseph Charlton (born 1997), American football player
* Joe Choynski, American boxer
* Joe Clancy, American football player
* Joseph Daye, Australian footballer
* Joe DiMaggio, American baseball player
* Joe Frazier, American boxer
* Joe Garagiola, American baseball player and broadcaster
* Joe Gomez, English footballer
* Joseph Hagerty, American gymnast
* Joe Hart, English football player
* Joe Horlen, American baseball player
* Joe Jacobi, American canoer
* Joe Jacobson, Welsh soccer player
* Joe Kaminer, South African rugby player
* Joe Katchik, American football player
* Joe Keeble, American football player
* Joe Kehoskie (born 1973), American baseball executive
* Joe Lamas, American football player
* Joseph Loake, British racing driver
* Joseph Louis Barrow, American boxer and heavyweight champion better known as "Joe Louis"
* Joe Magidsohn, Russian, American football player
* Joseph Marwa (boxer), Tanzanian boxer
* Joe Mauer, American baseball player
* Joe McGlone (1896–1963), American football player
* Joe Minucci (born 1981), American football player
* Joe Montana, American Hall of Fame NFL quarterback
* Joe Namath (born 1943), American Hall of Fame NFL quarterback
* Joseph Noteboom (born 1995), American football player
* Joseph Odom (born 1992), American professional baseball catcher
* Joe O'Malley, American football player
* Joseph Oosting, Dutch football player
* Joseph Paulo, New Zealand rugby player
* Joe Paterno, Penn State football coach
* Joe Pavelski (born 1984), American ice hockey player
* Joe Picker (born 1987), Australian rugby player
* Joe Prokop (born 1960), American football player
* Joe Prokop (halfback) (1921–1995), American football player
* Joe Root, English cricketer
* Joe Righetti (born 1947), American football player
* Joseph Scates (born 2000), American football player
* Joe Schilling, American kick-boxer
* Joseph Schooling (born 1995), Singaporean swimmer
* Joe Stringfellow (1918–1992), American football player
* Joseph Tapine (born 1994), New Zealand rugby league player
* Joseph Ualesi, Australian rugby player
* Joseph Valtellini (born 1985), Canadian kickboxer
* Joe Vetrano (1918–1995), American football player
* Joe Vodicka, American football player
* Joe Winkler (1922–2001), American football player
* Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (born 1974), Sri Lankan cricketer

### Religion

* Joseph Ayo Babalola, Nigerian religious figure
* Joseph Di Mambro (1924–1994), French cult leader
* Joseph Gelfer, British researcher in religion and masculinities
* Joseph Kibweteere (born 1932, disappeared 2000), Ugandan cult leader
* Joseph F. Merrill, American Latter-day Saint apostle
* Joseph (Petrovykh) (1872–1937), metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church
* Joseph Ponniah, 1st Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Batticaloa
* Joseph Prince, a pastor and IT consultant
* Joseph Ratzinger, given name of Pope Benedict XVI
* Joseph Sarvananthan, Sri Lankan Tamil Anglican priest
* Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
* Joseph Smith III, son of Joseph Smith and founder of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
* Joseph F. Smith, 6th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
* Joseph Fielding Smith, 10th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
* Joseph of Vatopedi (1921–2009), Greek Cypriot Orthodox monk
* Joseph Vaz, Indian Catholic priest, "Apostle of Sri Lanka"
* Joseph B. Wirthlin, American Latter-day Saint apostle
* Joseph Angell Young, American Latter-day Saint apostle
* Rayappu Joseph, 2nd Bishop of Mannar

### Scholars

* Joseph von Baader (1763–1835), German engineer and rail transport pioneer
* Joseph Antony Cafazzo, Canadian engineer, educator and researcher
* Joseph Campbell, American writer and professor
* Joseph W. Esherick, American historian of China
* Joseph Peter de Fonseka (1897–1948), Sri Lankan essayist and editor
* Joseph Dalton Hooker, British botanist
* Joseph de Maistre (1753–1821), French philosopher
* Joseph Mercado, Filipino statistician
* Joseph S. Murphy (1933–1998), American political scientist and university administrator
* Joseph Planta (1744–1828), Swiss principal librarian of the British Museum
* Joseph Polchinski, theoretical physicist and string theorist
* Joe Root, a 19th-century American naturalist from Erie, Pennsylvania

### Inventors

* Joseph Glidden (1813–1906), inventor of barbed wire
* Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (1765–1833), first person to create a permanent photograph

### Criminals

* Joseph Armone (1917–1992), American mobster
* Joseph Baldi (1941–2009), American serial killer
* Joseph D. "Joe" Ball (1896–1938), American murderer and suspected serial killer
* Joseph Barboza (1932–1976), American hitman
* Joseph Breslin (1950–1982), American serial killer
* Joey Buttafuoco (born 1956), American man who had an affair with 17 year-old Amy Fisher
* Joseph Christopher (1955–1993), American serial killer
* Joseph Danks (born 1962), American spree/serial killer
* Joseph James DeAngelo (born 1945), American serial killer and rapist and former cop
* Joseph Edward Duncan (1963–2021), American serial killer, rapist, and kidnapper
* Joseph Eisele (1834–1868), German serial killer
* Joe Exotic (born 1963), American media personality convicted of animal abuse and conspiring murder for hire
* Joseph Paul Franklin (1950–2013), American serial killer and neo-nazi
* Joseph M.L. Gardner (1970–2008), American murderer
* Joseph Stephen Holt (1947–2014), American posthumously linked murderer and possible serial killer
* Joseph Kallinger (1935–1996), American serial killer and rapist
* Joseph Kondro (1959–2012), American murderer and possible serial killer
* Joseph Magaletti (1950–2015), American murderer and suspected serial killer
* Joseph Massino (1943–2023), former boss of Bonanno crime family
* Joseph Mengele (1911–1979), Nazi scientist
* Joseph Robert Miller (born 1955), American serial killer
* Joseph P. Moran (1895–1934), American surgeon and gangster
* Joseph Naso (born 1934), American serial killer
* Joseph Scott Pemberton, a US Marine lance corporal convicted of the homicide of Jennifer Laude, a Filipino trans woman
* Joseph Rosenzweig, (c.1891–?), American New York City labor racketeer
* Joseph "Chip" Skowron (born c.1969), American portfolio manager convicted of insider trading
* Joseph Ture Jr. (born 1951), American serial killer, kidnapper, and burglar
* Joseph T. Wesbecker (1942–1989), American mass murderer who perpetrated the Standard Gravure shooting

### Other

* Joseph Force Crater (fl. 1889–1930), New York judge who disappeared
* Joseph Fenton, informer killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
* Joseph Fitzgerald (disambiguation), multiple people
* Joseph Goldwasser Polish-born American businessman
* Joseph Hedley, English quilter and murder victim
* Joseph B. MacInnis (born 1937), Canadian physician, underwater diver and author
* Joseph Oliver (disambiguation), multiple people
* Joseph Safra (1938–2020), Brazilian banker
* Joseph Thornton (1808–1891), English bookseller based in Oxford
* Joseph Wilf (1925–2016), Polish-born American businessman

## Fictional characters

* Joseph Desaulniers, a hunter in the video game Identity V
* Joseph Goldberg, main character in the Netflix series You
* Joseph Joestar (ジョセフ・ジョースター), the main protagonist of Battle Tendency in the manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
* Joseph Seed, a recurring character in the Far Cry video game franchise
* Joseph Tribbiani, a main character in TV show Friends and it's spin-off Joey
* Joseph Wilford, the main antagonist in the Netflix series Snowpiercer
* Joe Josephson, a Broadway producer in the musical Merrily We Roll Along