Josef is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Josef means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Josef across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Josef has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Josef is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “he will add”. A German and Czech form of Joseph.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 9,158 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,378 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 64 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 3 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 8 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Josef per year, United States (1900 to 2025). United States peaked in 1999 (220/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1999 (96/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2013 (8/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2003 (7/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2002 (3/yr).
Josef is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1999, when it ranked #1,669 nationally (given to 322 babies that year).
Joseph · Joesph · Josefa · Joeseph · Josepha · Josph · Jozef · Jozefa
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