Given name & surname
Jozef
“God shall add”
Jozef 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
Jozef 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
Jozef 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
Jozef developed from Ἰωσήφ. Jozef 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.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Jozef 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. In Czech use, Jozef is a variant of Josef. The history of Josef gives this family its wider story. Josef has historical associations with the Habsburg dynasty.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Jozef through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,201
- 1,201 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2005
- 57 babies
- 2025
- 17
- #5,493 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 17 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,493 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 57 in 2005. In 2025, Illinois had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,764 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.
Jozef’s family of names
In Breton usage, Jozef has a diminutive in JOS. Jozef shares a linguistic root with Josef. Jozef has a related form in Joseph.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jozef has relatives in 17 languages.
33 related names in 17 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 24
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Josephvariant · English, French
- Josefvariant · Czech, Albanian
- Jojodiminutive · Slovak
- Jusufvariant · Albanian
- Zefdiminutive · Albanian, Dutch
- Josdiminutive · Breton
- Jefdiminutive · Breton
- Josifvariant · Albanian
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Jozefflikely variant
- Jozdiminutive · Breton, Albanian
- Jozëdiminutive · Albanian
- Jožodiminutive · Slovak
- Jozefkodiminutive · Slovak
- Jozigdiminutive · Breton
- Josigdiminutive · Breton
- Jefigdiminutive · Breton
- Jožkodiminutive · Slovak
- Jožinkodiminutive · Slovak
- Jojkodiminutive · Slovak
- Dodkodiminutive · Slovak
- Isufivariant · Albanian
- Isufvariant · Albanian
- Jusufivariant · Albanian
- Josefivariant · Albanian
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 32
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Joseequivalent
- Yosefequivalent
- GiuseppeItalian
- Iosifequivalent
- Josipequivalent
- Josepequivalent
- יוסףequivalent
- Иосифequivalent
Show 24 moreShow fewer
- Joosefequivalent
- Osipequivalent
- يوسفequivalent
- Josebaequivalent
- Seffequivalent
- Jožeequivalent
- Ossipequivalent
- Zéequivalent
- Joepequivalent
- Sjefequivalent
- Józsefequivalent
- Iosephusequivalent
- ΙωσήφGreek
- JózefPolish, Upper Sorbian
- JoséSpanish
- Osypequivalent
- Juozapasequivalent
- Язэпequivalent
- Giüsèppequivalent
- Jossephequivalent
- Jooseppiequivalent
- Ἰωσήφroot · Ancient Greek
- JuozasLithuanian
- JósefUpper Sorbian
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jozef
- Jozef TisoSlovak politician, priest and president of the Slovak Republic from 1939 to 19451887–1947
- Jozef VenglošSlovak association football player and manager (1936–2021)
- Jozef IsraëlsDutch painter (1824-1911)
- Jozef GabčíkCzechoslovak soldier (1912–1942)
- Willem MengelbergDutch conductor (1871-1951)
- Jozef TomkoSlovak cardinal and Roman Catholic archbishop1924–2022
- Jozef AdamecSlovak footballer (1942-2018)
- Jozef De KeselBelgian cardinalborn 1947
- Jozef LenártSlovak politician (1923–2004), member of the Czechoslovak Parliament and Slovak National Council
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Jozef, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Joe
“God will add” · “God shall add”
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Jahleel
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Rajah
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