Given name · Arabic · Aramaic · Hebrew · Yiddish
יוסף
“to add”
יוסף (yoséf) is a masculine given name from Hebrew, meaning “to add.” It is used in Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Yiddish.
Arabic and Aramaic and Hebrew and YiddishWritten in Hebrew script, read right to left. In English: Joseph.
Meaning & origin
How it developed
From Hebrew הוֹסִיף (hosíf, “to add”), from Hebrew י־ס־ף.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
יוסף’s family of names
In Yiddish usage, יוסף has a diminutive in יאָסל. In Hebrew usage, יוסף has a later derivative in Jose. In Yiddish usage, יוסף has a conventional equivalent in the English form Joseph.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
יוסף has relatives in 16 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere יוסף comes from · 2 names
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 41
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- JosephEnglish, French
- Josederivative · ceb
- Yusufderivative · Malay, Indonesian
- Giuseppeequivalent
- Youssefequivalent
- JosefGerman
- Jozefequivalent
- Yusifderivative · Azerbaijani
Show 33 moreShow fewer
- Jusufequivalent
- Iosifequivalent
- Hovsepequivalent
- Josipequivalent
- Josifequivalent
- Иосифequivalent
- Joosefequivalent
- Osipequivalent
- Iosebequivalent
- Yosyfequivalent
- يوسفequivalent
- Осипequivalent
- Josebaequivalent
- Jožeequivalent
- Ossipequivalent
- Йосифequivalent
- Jožefequivalent
- Józsefequivalent
- Iosephusequivalent
- იოსებequivalent
- ЮсуфRussian
- Giöxèppederivative · Ligurian
- Joséderivative · Portuguese, Spanish
- JózefPolish
- Isufderivative · Albanian
- Jozifderivative · Albanian
- Osypequivalent
- Jožkoequivalent
- Juozapasequivalent
- Язэпequivalent
- Giüsèppequivalent
- Հովսեփequivalent
- Jooseppiequivalent
People named יוסף
- CaiaphasJewish High Priest (circa 14 BCE - 46 CE)100–100
- Joseph KaroSpanish rabbi and author on Jewish law (1488–1575)
- Yosef Haim BrennerRussian-born Hebrew-language author (1881-1921)
- Yosef Yitzchak SchneersohnRussian orthodox rabbi (1880–1950)
- Yosef HayyimIraqi rabbi1833–1909
- Joseph ZaritskyIsraeli painter (1891-1985)
- Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeldrabbi and Charedi Council of Jerusalem co-founder (1848–1932)
- Yosef SapirIsraeli politician (1902–1972)
- Yosef MerimovichIsraeli footballer and manager (1924–2011)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love יוסף, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ayil
Ayil is a surname from Hebrew.
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Ashkenaz
“fire like sprinkles” · “so fire is scattered”
>99% boys
Thamah
“wipe clean” · “strike”
>99% boys
Lamec
“to make small”
>99% boys
Japhlet
“he will deliver”
86% boys · 14% girls
Neemia
“consolation of Yahweh”
77% boys · 23% girls
Dumah
“(deadly) silence”
>99% boys
Ilìa
“Jah is my God”
>99% boys