Given name & surname
Jos
“God shall add”
In English use, Jos is a diminutive 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
In English use, Jos is a diminutive 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
In English use, Jos is a diminutive of Joseph. Joseph is the English and French form of the Hebrew name Yosef.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Jos is a diminutive of Joseph. In English use, Jos is a diminutive 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 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Jos is a diminutive 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
Jos through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 96
- 96 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 9 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −81%
- Cooling
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2021. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 779 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.
Jos’s family of names
In French usage, Jos is a diminutive of Joseph. In Breton usage, Jos is a diminutive of Jozef. In Breton usage, Jos is a diminutive of Jozeb.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jos has relatives in 3 languages.
3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
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 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Jos
- Jos VerstappenDutch racing driverborn 1972
- Jos LuhukayDutch footballer and managerborn 1963
- Jos van EmdenDutch road bicycle racerborn 1985
- Jos HooiveldDutch footballerborn 1983
- Jos ButtlerEnglish cricketerborn 1990
- Jos Lansinkequestrianborn 1961
- Jos StellingDutch film director and screenwriter (born 1945)
- Jos HuysmansBelgian road bicycle racer (1941–2012)
- Jos HoevenaersBelgian cyclist (1932–1995)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jos, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Josep
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Jabez
“sorrowful” · “one who is delivered in pain”
>99% boys
Jessup
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Josip
“God shall add” · “God will add”
>99% boys
Joos
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Saul
“one who was prayed for”
>99% boys
Joby
“God shall add” · “persecuted”
>99% boys
Josu
“God shall add”
>99% boys