Given name & surname
Iosif
“God shall add”
Iosif is a form of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Iosif is a form of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Iosif is a form of Joseph. Joseph is the English and French form of the Hebrew name Yosef.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Russian use, Iosif is used as a form of Joseph. Iosif is a form of Joseph. The shared background comes through Joseph: The English and French name continues the biblical Hebrew form Yosef. The idea of adding is part of the name’s original family context, rather than a later personality interpretation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1985. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Iosif is a form of Joseph. The history of Joseph gives this family its wider story. In Genesis, Joseph is Jacob’s son who is taken to Egypt and later reconciled with his brothers. In the New Testament, Joseph is also the husband of Mary, giving the name a distinct place in Christian tradition.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Iosif through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 49
- 49 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 9 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #11,186 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 11,186 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,068 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Iosif’s family of names
Iosif shares a linguistic root with Joseph. In Romanian usage, Iosif has a conventional equivalent in the German form Josef. Iosif is a form of Joseph.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Iosif has relatives in 7 languages.
6 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 47
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Josephcognate · English, French
- Joseequivalent
- Yosefequivalent
- Joeequivalent
- Giuseppeequivalent
- JosefGerman
- Jozefequivalent
- Jusufequivalent
Show 39 moreShow fewer
- Josipequivalent
- Josepequivalent
- Josifequivalent
- Жүсіпequivalent
- Vosipequivalent
- יוסףequivalent
- Yosypequivalent
- Іосіфequivalent
- Joosefequivalent
- Iosebequivalent
- Yosyfequivalent
- يوسفequivalent
- Осипequivalent
- Józefequivalent
- Josebaequivalent
- Seffequivalent
- Jožeequivalent
- Ossipequivalent
- Juozasequivalent
- Йосифequivalent
- Jožefequivalent
- Жусупequivalent
- Zéequivalent
- Joepequivalent
- Józsefequivalent
- Iosephusequivalent
- იოსებequivalent
- Йосипequivalent
- ΙωσήφGreek
- JoséSpanish
- Jüsıpequivalent
- Osypequivalent
- Jožkoequivalent
- Juozapasequivalent
- Язэпequivalent
- Giüsèppequivalent
- Jooseppiequivalent
- Jožaequivalent
- Ἰωσήφroot · Ancient Greek
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Iosif
- Joseph BrodskyRussian-American poet (1940-1996)
- Joseph KobzonSoviet and Russian singer (1937–2018)
- Iosif ShklovskySoviet astronomer (1916–1985)
- Iosif GurkoRussian general (1828-1901)
- Joseph KlausnerJewish historian (1874–1958)1872–1958
- Joseph the HymnographerEastern Orthodox hymnographer816–886
- Iosif KheifitsSoviet and Russian film director (1905–1995)
- Yosef Yitzchak SchneersohnRussian orthodox rabbi (1880–1950)
- Iosif IgelströmRussian general of Baltic German origin (1737-1823)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Iosif, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ioseph
“God will add” · “God shall add”
>99% boys
Jerahmeel
“may God have compassion” · “he will obtain mercy of God”
>99% boys
Josu
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Jahleel
“wait for God” · “hope of God”
>99% boys
Umut
“filled with hope”
>99% boys
Hovsep
“God will add” · “God shall add”
>99% boys
Erdem
“virtue”
>99% boys
Hian
“God is full of grace”
>99% boys