Given name & surname
Yosef
“God will add”·“God shall add”
Yosef is a variant of Yusuf. In Arabic use, Yusuf carries the interpretation “God will add.” In Hebrew use, Yosef shares an earlier linguistic root with 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
Yosef is a variant of Yusuf. In Arabic use, Yusuf carries the interpretation “God will add.” In Hebrew use, Yosef shares an earlier linguistic root with 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 Hebrew use, Yosef shares an earlier linguistic root with Joseph. Joseph is the English and French form of the Hebrew name Yosef.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Hebrew use, Yosef shares an earlier linguistic root with 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 1951. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Hebrew use, Yosef shares an earlier linguistic root with 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
Yosef through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10,612
- 10,612 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 470 babies
- 2025
- 413
- #665 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +16%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 413 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 665 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 15.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (179). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,990 as a first name in 2020; 601 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.
Yosef’s family of names
Yosef shares a linguistic root with Joseph. Yosef has a related form in Yusuf. In Ladino usage, Yosef has a related form in Yusef.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
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.
- Josephcognate
- Joseequivalent
- Giuseppeequivalent
- Youssefequivalent
- Josefequivalent
- Jozefequivalent
- Jusufequivalent
- Iosifequivalent
Show 33 moreShow fewer
- Josifequivalent
- Hovsepequivalent
- Josipequivalent
- Josepequivalent
- Yosyfequivalent
- Осипequivalent
- Йосифequivalent
- Joepequivalent
- Iosephusequivalent
- იოსებequivalent
- Osypequivalent
- Jožkoequivalent
- Joséequivalent
- Juozapasequivalent
- Язэпequivalent
- Giüsèppequivalent
- Հովսեփequivalent
- Jooseppiequivalent
- Иосифequivalent
- Josebaequivalent
- Osipequivalent
- Joosefequivalent
- Iosebequivalent
- يوسفequivalent
- Józefequivalent
- יהוסףequivalent
- Ossipequivalent
- Seffequivalent
- Jožeequivalent
- Zéequivalent
- Juozasequivalent
- Jožefequivalent
- Józsefequivalent
People named Yosef
- 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 Hayim YerushalmiJewish historian (1932–2009)
- Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeldrabbi and Charedi Council of Jerusalem co-founder (1848–1932)
- Yosef SapirIsraeli politician (1902–1972)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Yosef, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Felix
“lucky” · “one who is happy and prosper- OuS”
99% boys · 1% girls
Iòseph
“God shall add”
—
Solomon
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Yosyp
“God will add” · “God shall add”
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Yūsif
“God shall add”
—
Yūsuf
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Joszef
“God shall add”
>99% boys
Saul
“one who was prayed for”
>99% boys