Josef Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: YO-sef //ˈjoʊ.sɛf//
Origin: Hebrew; German; Slavic
Meaning: Hebrew: He will add; German: God will increase; Slavic: God will add
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Josef is derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, which means "He will add" or "God will increase." This name appears in the Hebrew Bible, where Joseph is a significant figure, notably the son of Jacob and Rachel, who is sold into slavery in Egypt and later rises to prominence as a vizier. The name was transliterated into Greek as Ioseph and subsequently into Latin as Iosephus.
From Latin, it made its way into Old French as Josse, before evolving into the modern form Josef in various languages, including English. Historically, the name Josef has been borne by numerous notable figures, including saints and biblical characters.
One of the most prominent is Saint Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary, who is venerated in Christianity. His role as a protector and provider has made the name particularly significant in Christian tradition.
The name appears in various translations of the Bible, including the King James Version, which helped to further establish its use in English-speaking cultures during the early 17th century. Culturally, Josef has been associated with qualities such as strength, reliability, and faithfulness, reflecting the character of its biblical namesake.
The name has also been embraced in various forms across different cultures, with diminutives such as Joe or Josie appearing in English-speaking contexts. The enduring nature of the name Josef can be attributed to its deep roots in religious tradition and its representation of virtuous characteristics, making it a name of lasting significance in various cultural and historical contexts.
Famous people named Josef
In this section, you will find notable people named Josef. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Josef who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Josef who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Josef Mengele was a physician best known for his inhumane experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz during World War II.
Josef Albers was an artist and educator best known for his work in color theory and as a member of the Bauhaus movement.
Josef von Sternberg was a film director best known for his work on The Blue Angel, Morocco, and Shanghai Express.
Josef Koudelka is a photographer best known for his work documenting the Roma people and the Prague Spring.
Josef Sudek was a photographer best known for his atmospheric images of Prague and still lifes.
Josef Haydn was a composer best known for his contributions to the development of the symphony and string quartet.
Josef Lhota is a physicist best known for his work in the field of quantum mechanics and condensed matter physics.
Josef Škvorecký was an author best known for his novels such as The Cowards and The Bass Saxophone.
Josef Fares is a filmmaker and game developer best known for his work on Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and A Way Out.
Fictional characters named Josef
The following list of fictional characters named Josef is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Josef is a fictional character from the video game series Silent Hill. He is a key figure in the narrative, often representing the psychological struggles faced by the protagonists.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Josef, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Josef. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Josef was first seen in the United States in 1900.
Josef has ranked as high as #1078 nationally, which occurred in 1999, and has been most popular in California, New York, Texas, Illinois, and Ohio.
In the past 5 years the name Josef has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Josef is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Josef was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Josef (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| NY | 11 | |
| CA | 5 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Josef.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 62 |
| 2023 | 61 |
| 2022 | 59 |
| 2021 | 72 |
| 2020 | 66 |
| 2019 | 81 |
| 2018 | 84 |
| 2017 | 81 |
| 2016 | 92 |
| 2015 | 91 |
| 2014 | 113 |
| 2013 | 108 |
| 2012 | 95 |
| 2011 | 137 |
| 2010 | 129 |
| 2009 | 125 |
| 2008 | 157 |
| 2007 | 165 |
| 2006 | 191 |
| 2005 | 218 |
| 2004 | 185 |
| 2003 | 188 |
| 2002 | 195 |
| 2001 | 211 |
| 2000 | 198 |
| 1999 | 220 |
| 1998 | 211 |
| 1997 | 183 |
| 1996 | 175 |
| 1995 | 168 |
| 1994 | 179 |
| 1993 | 170 |
| 1992 | 163 |
| 1991 | 154 |
| 1990 | 165 |
| 1989 | 156 |
| 1988 | 177 |
| 1987 | 164 |
| 1986 | 159 |
| 1985 | 172 |
| 1984 | 170 |
| 1983 | 130 |
| 1982 | 149 |
| 1981 | 131 |
| 1980 | 151 |
| 1979 | 161 |
| 1978 | 123 |
| 1977 | 119 |
| 1976 | 96 |
| 1975 | 107 |
| 1974 | 80 |
| 1973 | 78 |
| 1972 | 80 |
| 1971 | 89 |
| 1970 | 93 |
| 1969 | 65 |
| 1968 | 73 |
| 1967 | 41 |
| 1966 | 53 |
| 1965 | 66 |
| 1964 | 58 |
| 1963 | 54 |
| 1962 | 41 |
| 1961 | 51 |
| 1960 | 53 |
| 1959 | 37 |
| 1958 | 45 |
| 1957 | 49 |
| 1956 | 41 |
| 1955 | 38 |
| 1954 | 32 |
| 1953 | 25 |
| 1952 | 29 |
| 1951 | 21 |
| 1950 | 18 |
| 1949 | 23 |
| 1948 | 19 |
| 1947 | 21 |
| 1946 | 11 |
| 1945 | 20 |
| 1944 | 13 |
| 1943 | 19 |
| 1942 | 21 |
| 1941 | 11 |
| 1940 | 14 |
| 1939 | 13 |
| 1938 | 20 |
| 1937 | 12 |
| 1936 | 15 |
| 1935 | 14 |
| 1934 | 16 |
| 1933 | 9 |
| 1932 | 9 |
| 1931 | 13 |
| 1930 | 14 |
| 1929 | 15 |
| 1928 | 21 |
| 1927 | 16 |
| 1926 | 20 |
| 1925 | 19 |
| 1924 | 21 |
| 1923 | 12 |
| 1922 | 14 |
| 1921 | 7 |
| 1920 | 17 |
| 1919 | 24 |
| 1918 | 14 |
| 1917 | 22 |
| 1916 | 28 |
| 1915 | 24 |
| 1914 | 13 |
| 1913 | 18 |
| 1912 | 12 |
| 1911 | 8 |
| 1910 | 10 |
| 1909 | 11 |
| 1908 | 5 |
| 1907 | 7 |
| 1906 | 7 |
| 1901 | 7 |
| 1900 | 6 |