Joseph

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Given name

title: "Joseph" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["english-language-masculine-given-names", "english-masculine-given-names", "german-masculine-given-names", "masculine-given-names", "hebrew-masculine-given-names", "modern-names-of-hebrew-origin", "given-names-of-hebrew-language-origin"] description: "Given name" topic_path: "geography/germany" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Given name ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox given name"]

FieldValue
nameJoseph
imagePeter von Cornelius 002.jpg
captionJoseph, a figure in the Book of Genesis
pronunciation
genderMale
meaningYHWH shall add, God will add, taken away or praise, fame taken away
regionMiddle East
originHebrew
name day19 March
related namesJoe, Joey, Joel, Jojo, Jos, Joss, Josh, John, Jose, Josephus, José, Joseba, Jože, Jāzeps, Dodô, Doido, Joep, Jupp, Posie, Bapi, Jô, Giuseppe, Yosef, Yoseph, Ouseph, Iosif, Peppa, Hovsep, Yusuf, Seph, Sepp, Jo, Josie, Josip, Josif, Josef, József, Pepa, Josephine, Josephina,
::

| name = Joseph | image= Peter von Cornelius 002.jpg | imagesize= | caption= Joseph, a figure in the Book of Genesis | pronunciation = | gender = Male | meaning = YHWH shall add, God will add, taken away or praise, fame taken away | region = Middle East | origin = Hebrew | name day = 19 March | related names = Joe, Joey, Joel, Jojo, Jos, Joss, Josh, John, Jose, Josephus, José, Joseba, Jože, Jāzeps, Dodô, Doido, Joep, Jupp, Posie, Bapi, Jô, Giuseppe, Yosef, Yoseph, Ouseph, Iosif, Peppa, Hovsep, Yusuf, Seph, Sepp, Jo, Josie, Josip, Josif, Josef, József, Pepa, Josephine, Josephina, Increase, Juuso, Joshua, Ġużepp, Ġużè, Xosé, Żepp, Żeppi}} Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew he ({{Script/Hebrew|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, ar. In Kurdish (Kurdî), the name is ku, Persian, the name is fa, and in Turkish it is fa. 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 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 of Nazareth, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus and Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus Christ 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 hbo 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. 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)
  • Betawi: Yusuf, Yusup, Ucup.
  • Bosnian: Josip, Jusuf
  • Breton: Jozef, Jozeb
  • Bulgarian: Йосиф (Yosif)
  • Burmese (Myanmar): ယောသပ် (Yaw sautsai)
  • Cantonese: 約瑟 (Joek sat)
  • 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), ספי (Sefi) (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, Yosi
  • 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
  • Luganda: Yusufu, Yozefu
  • 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: , ,
  • 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
  • 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)
  • Tigrinya: ዮሴፍ (Yosēf)
  • Tongan: Siosefa
  • Turkish: Yusuf
  • Turkmen: Yusup
  • Tyap: Isuu
  • Ukrainian: Йосип (Josyp), Осип (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: Joseff, Ioseff (or, less commonly, Iosep)
  • Yiddish: Yissl, Yussel, Jayzl
  • Yoruba: Josefu, Yusufu
  • Shona: Joze, Joza
  • Zulu: uJosef

Female forms

Main article: Josephine (name)

  • 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: Yosephine, Josefa, Josepha, Josephira, Josephine, Josephina, Yosefin, Yosefina, Josefina, Yosepha
  • 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

Royalty

Politics and government

Arts and entertainment

Sports

Religion

Scholars

Inventors

Criminals

Other

Fictional characters

References

References

  1. "JOSEPH". JewishEncyclopedia.com.
  2. "JOSEPH". JewishEncyclopedia.com.
  3. Frank Nuessel. (1992). "The Study of Names: A Guide to the Principles and Topics". Greenwood Press.
  4. Bauckham, Richard. (2017). "Jesus and the Eyewitnesses". Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
  5. {{Bibleverse. Genesis. 30:24
  6. "JACOB, also called Israel". JewishEncyclopedia.com.
  7. Friedman, R. E., ''The Bible with Sources Revealed'' (2003), p. 80
  8. "JOSEPH". JewishEncyclopedia.com.

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english-language-masculine-given-namesenglish-masculine-given-namesgerman-masculine-given-namesmasculine-given-nameshebrew-masculine-given-namesmodern-names-of-hebrew-origingiven-names-of-hebrew-language-origin