Given name & surname
Jessup
“God shall add”
Jessup is a variant 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
Jessup is a variant 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
Jessup is a variant of Joseph. Joseph is the English and French form of the Hebrew name Yosef.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Jessup is a variant 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.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1948. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Jessup is a variant 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
Jessup through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 479
- 479 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1995
- 23 babies
- 2025
- 7
- #10,145 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −26%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 10,145 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 23 in 1995. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 439 as a first name in 2020; 6,560 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Jessup, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jabez
“sorrowful” · “one who is delivered in pain”
>99% boys
Josip
“God shall add” · “God will add”
>99% boys
Josep
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Jos
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Joby
“God shall add” · “persecuted”
>99% boys
Jessop
“God shall add”
91% boys · 9% girls
Joselito
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Joosep
“God shall add”
>99% boys