Joseph

Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew . "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 , . In Persian, the name is . In Pashto the name is spelled Esaf (ايسپ).
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 Palestine 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 from the root /'sp/, : "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 : "And she called his name Joseph; and said, The 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.
Variants, diminutives and familiar forms in other languages
Variations for males include:
Afrikaans: Josef, Joesoef
Albanian: Jozë (indefinite), Joza (definite), Zef (indefinite), Zefi (definite), Josif (indefinite), Josifi (definite), Isuf (indefinite), Isufi (definite), Bibë (indefinite), Biba (definite)
Alemmanic: Sepp, Seppu
Alsatian: Sepp
Amharic: (Yosēfi)
Aramaic: (Yawsef, Yowsef)
Armenian: (Hovsep)
Arabic: (Yūsif, Youssef, Yussef, Yousif, Yousef, Youssof, Yūsuf)
Arpitan: Dzozè
Azerbaijani: Yusif, Yusuf, Usub
Basque: Joseba, Josepe
Bavarian: Sepp, Bepperl, Beppe, Beppi,
Belarusian: (Iosif), (Jazep)
Bengali: (Iusuf or Yusuf) (Islamic), (Josef) (Christian)
Bosnian: Josip, Jusuf
Breton: Jozef, Jozeb
Bulgarian: (Yosif)
Burmese (Myanmar): (Yaw sautsai)
Cantonese: (Joek sat)
Catalan: Josep, Pep (shortened form), Jep (an alternative shortened form)
Circassian: (Yusyf)
Cornish: Josep
Corsican: Ghjaseppu, Ghjiseppu
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: Joe, Joey
Esperanto: Jozefo
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: (Ioseb), (Soso)
German: Josef, Joseph; Jupp (familiar); Sepp, Seppl or Pepi (familiar or diminutive forms, particularly in South Germany and Austria)
Greek: (Iosif), (Iosipos), (Sifis) (local in Crete)
Gujarati: (Jōsēfa)
Hawaiian: Iokepa
Hebrew: (Yosef), (Yossi) (diminutive)
Hiligaynon: José, Josef, Josep (rare)
Hindi: (Yūsuf)
Hungarian: József, Jóska, Józsi (diminutive)
Icelandic: Jósef, Jói
Igbo: Yôsēp̄, Yossef, Josef
Indonesian: Yoseph, Yosep, Yusuf, Yosef, Yusup, Jusuf, Joesoef, Josef, Joseph
Interlingua: Joseph
Italian: Giuseppe, Giù, Beppe, Peppe, Peppino, Pepino, Pino, Bepi, Beppo, Pippo, Puccio, Gioseffo, Gio or Giò
Irish: Seosamh, Iósaf
Japanese: (Yosefu), (Josefu)
Kambaata: Yeseffe, Yese, Josse, Jossy
Kannada: (Jōseph)
Kashmiri: (Yūsuf)
Kazakh: Yusuf, Jusip
Khmer: (Yousaep)
Korean: (Yosep), (Josep)
Kyrgyz: (Jusup)
Latin: Iōsēph, Iōsēphus
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: (J̌osif)
Malayalam: (Josapp) or (Josappan), (Ousepp), (Yosepp), (Kochaappu), (Eeppan), (Jōsaph)
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:
Marathi: (Jōsēfa)
Māori: Hohepa
Mongolian: (Iosyef)
Nepali: (Yūsupha)
Norwegian: Josef
Occitan: Josèp
Persian: (Youssef, Yūsuf, Yussef)
Polish: Józef, Józek (diminutive), Józio (diminutive)
Portuguese: José, Josefo; diminutive forms: Zé, Zeca, Zezé
Provençal: Jóusè
Punjabi: (Yūsufa)
Quechua: Husiy
Romanian: Iosif, Iosub
Romansch: Giusep, Gisep, Giusi, Sepp
Russian: (Iosif), (Osip), (Peppa)
Samoan: Iosefa, Sefa
Sardinian: Josepe, Zosepe, Gisepu
Scottish Gaelic: Seòsaidh, Eòsaph, Iòsaph
Serbian: (Josif), (Josef), (Jozef)
Sepedi: Josefa
Sicilian: Giuseppi
Silesian: Zefel, Zeflik (diminutive)
Sinhala: (Juse), (Jōsēf)
Slovak: Jozef, Jožo, Dodo, Ďoďo, Dodô, Doido
Slovene: Jožef, Jože
Somali: (Yuusuf)
Spanish: José; hypocoristic versions: Pepe, Chepe, Che, Cheo, Chelo
Sundanese: Yusup, Yosep
Swahili: Yusuph, Yusufu, Yosefu
Swedish: Josef
Sylheti: (Yusuf)
Syriac: (Yosip, Yausef, Ossi)
Tagalog: Jose, Pepe, Peping
Tamil: (sūsai), (yōcēppu)
Tajik: (Yusuf)
Telugu: (Yōsepu)
Thai: (Co sef, Josef)
Tongan: Siosefa
Turkish: Yusuf
Turkmen: Yusup
Ukrainian: (Josyp), (Osyp)
(Yūsuf)
Uzbek: Yusuf
Valencian: Josep
Venetian: Juxepe, Bepi, Bepin, Bapi
Vietnamese: Giu-se or Giô-xếp or Yuse or Giô-sép
Vilamovian: Juza
Welsh: 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
Friulian: Josefe, 'Sefe, Pine
Greek: (Iosiphina)
Hungarian: Jozefa, Jozefina, Józsa
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 (patriarch), 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
Chief Joseph (1840–1904), Nez Perce tribal leader
John Joseph Abercrombie (1798–1877), career United States Army officer and brigadier general
Joseph Arthur Ankrah (1915–1992), 2nd president of Ghana from 1966–1969
Jusuf Anwar (1941–2015), Indonesian politician and diplomat
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden (born 1942), 46th and current president of the United States (2021–present); 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, French politician and Minister of France
Joseph Carraro (born 1944), State Senator from New Mexico
Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914), British statesman, diplomats, and businessman
Joseph Cook (1860–1947), 6th Prime Minister of Australia
Joseph Dudley, British military commander and colonial administrator, notable during colonization of Americas
Joseph Estrada (born 1937), 13th president of the Philippines
Joseph Isaac Gnanamuttu (died 1944), Sri Lankan Tamil politician
Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945), German politician and propaganda minister of Nazi Germany
Joseph Hemphill (1770-1842), U.S. Congressman
Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, French Canadian military officer
Joseph Kabila, Congolese politician who served as 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 (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, 1987–1999
Joe Kennedy (born 1980), son of Joseph P. Kennedy II and Congressman from Massachusetts, 2013–present
Joe Kennedy (Georgia politician) (1930–1997), American politician from Georgia
Joseph Abu Khalil (1925–2019), Lebanese politician and journalist
Joe Lieberman (born 1942), US Senator from Connecticut
Joseph Lyons (1879–1939), 10th Prime Minister of Australia
Joseph de Maistre (1753–1821), French diplomat
Joseph McCarthy (1908–1957), US 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
Sir Joseph Planta (1787–1847), English politician
Joseph "Beppo" Schmid, Air force general in Nazi Germany
Joseph Hill Sinex (1819-1892), Pennsylvania State Representative
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 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 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 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 Root, English cricketer
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
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 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 Righetti (born 1947), 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 Gelfer, British researcher in religion and masculinities
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 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 (born 1943), 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 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 Wilford, the main antagonist in the Netflix series Snowpiercer
See also
Hohepa (disambiguation)
Increase (given name)
Joe (disambiguation)
Josef (disambiguation)
Jozef
József
Saint Joseph (disambiguation)
Yosef (disambiguation), a variation of the name in Hebrew, and the Dutch eye dialect of the name
Yusuf (disambiguation), as rendered in Islam/Arabic
References
English-language masculine given names
English masculine given names
Masculine given names
German masculine given names
Hebrew masculine given names
Modern names of Hebrew origin