Joseph is a masculine name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God will add/God increases". It is derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, which was borne by several characters in the Bible. The most famous of these is Joseph, the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus according to Christian tradition.
The name Joseph has been popular throughout history and across different cultures. In ancient Egypt, for example, it was a common name among pharaohs and nobles. In the Middle Ages, it was widely used in Europe due to its biblical associations. Today, Joseph remains a popular choice for boys' names around the world.
Some notable people named Joseph include:
* Saint Joseph (died 1st century AD), the foster father of Jesus
* Joseph Smith (1805-1844), the founder of Mormonism
* Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999), an American baseball player
* Joseph Heller (1923-1999), an American novelist best known for his novel "Catch-22"
* Joe Biden (born 1942), the current President of the United States
The name Joseph had a fluctuating popularity throughout the years. Starting from the late 19th century, there were fewer than 10 births per year until around the early 20th century when the number began to increase steadily. The peak in popularity occurred during World War I with over 100 births per year. This trend continued into the post-war period and peaked again in the late 1950s and early 1960s with over 300 births per year. However, since the mid-1960s, there has been a consistent decline in the popularity of the name Joseph, reaching an all-time low in recent years with fewer than 20 births per year. Overall, from 1881 to 2023, there were a total of 15,622 births named Joseph.