Joseph

Joseph

Joseph, a figure in the Book of Genesis.
Pronunciation	/ˈdʒoʊzɪf, -sɪf/
Gender	Male
Name day	19 March
Origin
Word/name	Hebrew
Meaning	He will add, taken away or praise, fame taken away
Region of origin	uncertain
Other names
Related names	Joe, Joey, Joel, Jojo, Jos, Joss, Josh, John, Jose, Josephus, José, Josué, Joseba, Jože, Dodô, Doido, Joep, Jupp, Posie, Bapi, Jô, Giuseppe, Yoseph, Ouseph, Peppa, Yusuf, Seph, Sepp, Jo, Josie, Josephine, Josephina, Juuso

Joseph is a common masculine given name, derived from the Hebrew. Yosef is used mostly in English, French and partially German-speaking (alongside "Josef") countries. This spelling is also found as a variant in the Nordic countries. In Portuguese and Spanish, the name is "José". In Arabic, including in the Quran, the name is spelled يوسف or Yūsuf. In Persian the name is "Yousef".

The name has enjoyed significant popularity in its many forms in numerous countries, and Joseph was one of the two names, along with Robert, to have remained in the top 10 boys' names list in the US from 1925 to 1972.^[1] It is especially common in contemporary Israel, as either "Yossi" or "Yossef", and in Italy, where the name "Giuseppe" was the most common male name in the 20th century. In the first century CE, Joseph was the second most popular male name for Palestine Jews.^[2]

In the Book of Genesis^[3] Joseph is Jacob's eleventh son and Rachel's first son, and known in the Hebrew Bible as Yossef ben-Yaakov.^[4] In the New Testament the most notable two are Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus; and Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus who supplied the tomb in which Jesus was buried.

Etymology

The Bible offers two explanations of the name Yosef: first it is compared to the word asaf from the root /'sp/, "taken away": "And she conceived, and bore a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach"; Yosef is then identified with the similar root /ysp/, meaning "add": "And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son."^[5] The Jewish Encyclopedia says that it is a theophoric name referencing YHWH.^[6] The name can also consist of the Hebrew yadah meaning "praise", "fame" and the word asaf.

Variants, diminutives and familiar forms in other languages

Variations for males include:

• Afrikaans: Josef, Joesoef
• Albanian: Jozë (indefinite), Joza (definite), Zef (indef.), Zefi (def.), Josif (indef.), Josifi (def.), Isuf (indef.), Isufi (def.), Bibë (indef.), Biba (def.)
• Alsatian: Sepp
• Amharic: ዮሴፍ (Yosēfi)
• Armenian: Հովսեփ, Յովսէփ (Hovsep)
• Arabic: يوسف (Yūsuf, Youssef, Yussef, Yousif, Yousef, Youssof)
• Azerbaijani: Yusif, Yusuf, Usub
• Belarusian: Іосіф (Iosif), Язэп (Jazep)
• Bengali: ইউসুফ (Iusuf or Yusuf) (Islamic), জোসেফ (Jushef) (Christian)
• Bosnian: Josip, Jusuf
• Basque: Joseba, Josepe
• Brazilian Portuguese: José, Zé, Zezé, Jô
• Bulgarian: Йосиф (Yosif)
• Burmese (Myanmar): ယောသပ်သည် (Yaw sautsai)
• Cantonese: 約瑟 (Joek³ sat¹)
• Catalan: Josep, Pep (shortened form), Jep (an alternative shortened form)
• Circassian: Юсыф (Yusyf)
• Corsican: Ghjaseppu
• Croatian: Josip, Joso, Jozo, Joza, Joze, Joško, Joža, Jože, Bepo, Bepi, Bapi, Pino, Osíp, Bozo, Gonzo, Ganso
• Czech: Josef; Diminutives: Pepa, Peppa, Pepík, Pepik, Jožka, Pepan, Pepča, Pepek, Pepino, Jožin
• Danish: Josef
• Dutch: Jozef, Josephus; Diminutives: Joep, Joost, Jos, Jo, Jef, Seppe
• English: Joseph, Diminutives: Joe, Joey
• Esperanto: Jozefo
• Estonian: Joosep, Joosu
• Faroese: Jósef
• Fijian: Josefa
• Filipino: Joseph, José, Pepe, Peping, Sep, Jojo
• Finnish: Jooseppi, Juuso
• French: José, Joseph, Jojo
• Friulian: Bepi, Bepo, Bapi, Bepùt
• Galician: Xosé
• Georgian: იოსებ (Ioseb), სოსო ("Soso")
• German: Josef, Joseph; Jupp (familiar); Sepp, Seppl or Pepi (familiar or diminutive forms, particularly in South Germany and Austria)
• Greek: Ιωσήφ (Iōséph), Ιώσηπος (Iosipos), Σήφης ("Sifis") (local in Crete)
• Gujarati: જોસેફ (Jōsēfa)
• Hawaiian (Iokepa)
• Hebrew: יוסף‎ (Yosef), יוסי ("Yossi", diminutive)
• Hiligaynon: José, Josef, Josep (rare)
• Hindi: यूसुफ (Yūsuf)
• Hungarian: József; Jóska, Józsi (diminutive)
• Icelandic: Jósef, Jói
• Igbo: Yôsēp̄, Yossef, Josef
• Indonesian: Yoseph, Yosep, Yusuf, Yusup, Josef, Joseph
• Interlingua: Joseph
• Italian: Giuseppe, Giù, Beppe, Peppe, Peppino, Pepino, Pino, Bepi, Beppo, Pippo, Puccio, Gioseffo
• Irish: Seosamh, Iósaf
• Japanese: ヨセフ (Yosefu), ジョセフ (Jyosefu)
• Kambaata language, Ethiopia: Yeseffe, Yese, Josse, Jossy
• Kannada: ಜೋಸೆಫ್ (Jōseph)
• Kazakh: Yusuf, Jusip
• Khmer: យ៉ូសែប (Yousaep)
• Korean: 요셉 (Yosep), 조셉 (Joseb)
• Kyrgyz: Жусуп (Dzhusup)
• Latin: Iosephvs
• Latvian: Jāzeps, Jozefs, Josefs, Josifs, Džozefs, Žozefs, Jusufs, Jozis, Zeps, Seps
• Limburgish: Joep, Sef
• Lithuanian: Juozapas, Juozas (shorter form), Juzas (shortest form), Justas
• Lombard: Giüsèpp, Pèpp, Pèpa, Pèppa, Bèpp
• Macedonian: Јосиф (J̌osif)
• Malayalam: ജോസപ്പ് (Josapp) or ജോസപ്പൻ (Josappan), ഔസേപ്പ് (Ousepp), യോസേപ്പ് (Yosef), ഔസേപച്ചന്‍ (Ouseppachen), കൊച്ചാപ്പു (Kochaappu), ഈപ്പൻ (Eappan), ഈപ്പച്ചൻ (Eappachan), ജോസഫ് (Jēāsaph)
• Malaysian: Yusuf, Yusop, Yusoff, Jusoh, Eusoff, Usop
• Manado Malay: Josef, Yosef, Oce'
• Maltese: Ġużeppi, Ġużi, Ġuż, Ġużè, Peppi, Peppu, Peppinu, Pepp, Peppa, Pepa, Żeppi, Żeppu, Żepp
• Mandarin: simplified Chinese: 约瑟; traditional Chinese: 約瑟; pinyin: (Yuēsè), simplified Chinese: 约瑟夫; traditional Chinese: 約瑟夫; pinyin: (Yuēsèfū), 玉素甫 (Yùsùfǔ), Zho-Zi-Fu
• Marathi: योसेफ (Jōsēfa)
• Maori: Hohepa
• Mongolian: Иосеф (Iosyef)
• Nepali: यूसुफ (Yūsupha)
• Norwegian: Josef
• Occitan: Josèp
• Persian: يوسف (Youssef, Yūsuf, Yussef)
• Polish: Józef (Yu-zef), Józek (diminutive), Józio (diminutive)
• Portuguese: José, Josefo,^[7] Diminutive forms: Zé, Zezé
• Provençal: Jóusè
• Punjabi: ਯੂਸੁਫ਼ (Yūsufa)
• Quechua: Husiy
• Romanian: Iosif, Iosub
• Romansch: Giusep, Gisep, Giusi, Sepp
• Russian: Иосиф (Iosif), Осип ("Osip"), Пеппа (Peppa)
• Samoan: Iosefa, Sefa
• Sardinian: Josepe, Zosepe, Gisepu
• Scottish Gaelic: Seòsaidh
• Serbian: Јосиф (Josif), Јосеф (Josef), Јозеф (Jozef)
• Sepedi: Josefa
• Sicilian: Giuseppi
• Silesian: Zefel, Zeflik (diminutive)
• Singapore: Joseph
• Sinhala: ජොසේ (Jose), ජෝසේෆ් (Jōsēf)
• Slovak: Jozef, Jožo, Dodo, Ďoďo, Dodô, Doido
• Slovene: Jožef, Jože
• Somali: Yuusuf, يوسف
• Spanish: José; hypocoristic versions: Pepe, Chepe, Che, Cheo, Chelo
• Sundanese: Yusup, Usup, Ucup
• Swahili: Yusuph, Yusufu, Yosefu
• Swedish: Josef
• Sylheti: য়ুসুফ (Yusuf)
• Syriac: ܝܘܣܦ (Yosip, Yausef, Ossi)
• Tagalog: Jose, Pepe, Peping
• Tamil: ஜோசப் (Jōcap, Josef), யொசெப் (Yocep, Yosef)
• Tajik: Юсуф (Yusuf)
• Telugu: యోసేపు (Yōsepu)
• Thai: โจเซฟ (Co sef, Josef)
• Tongan: Siosefa
• Turkish: Yusuf
• Ukrainian: Йосип (Josyp), Осип (Osyp)
• Urdu: يوسف‎ (Yūsuf)
• Uzbek: Yusuf, Иосиф (Iosif)
• Valencian: Josep
• Venetian: Juxepe, Bepi, Bepin, Bapi
• Vietnamese: Giu-se or Giô-xếp or Yuse or Giô-sép
• Vilamovian: Juza
• Welsh: Joseff
• Yiddish: Yissl, Yussel, Jayzl
• Yoruba: Josefu, Yusufu
• Shona: Joze, Joza
• Zulu: uJosef

Female forms

• Albanian: Jozefina, Zefina
• Catalan : Josepa, Pepa, Peppa (shortened)
• Croatian: Josipa, Josica, Jozica
• English: Jo, Josephine, Joette, Posy, Posie
• French: Joséphine
• Greek: Ιωσηφίνα (Iosiphina)
• Hungarian: Jozefa, Jozefina, Józsa
• Irish: Seosaimhín
• Italian: Giuseppa, Giuseppina
• Maltese: Ġuża, Ġużeppa
• Norwegian: Josefine, Josephine
• Polish: Józefina (Yo-zef-yna)
• Portuguese: Josefa, Josefina, José (mainly in the compound Maria José), Zezé (nickname)
• Romansh: Giuseppa, Giuseppina
• Samoan: Iosefina
• Sardinian: Josepa, Zosepa, Zosepedda
• Spanish: Josefa, Josefina, Josefita
• Swedish: Josefin, Josefine, Josephine
• Yiddish: Jayzl, Yissl

People

Biblical figures

• Joseph (patriarch), son of Jacob in the Hebrew Bible book of Genesis
• Saint Joseph, husband of Mary the mother of Jesus
• Joseph of Arimathea, secret disciple of Jesus
• Joseph Barsabbas, one of two candidates to replace Judas Iscariot's position among the Twelve Apostles
• Joseph ben Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest related to the crucifixion of Jesus. Only written as 'Caiaphas' in the New Testament.

Royalty

• Austria
  • Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
  • Joseph II of Austria
  • Franz Joseph I of Austria
• Portugal
  • Joseph I of Portugal, King of Portugal
  • Joseph, Prince of Brazil
  • Joseph, General Inquisitor (1720–1801) – a natural son of King John V of Portugal, one of the Children of Palhavã.
• Spain/Italy/France
  • Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, King of Naples
• Other
  • Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria
  • Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, King of Bavaria
  • Joseph (Khazar), king of the Khazars during the 950s and 960s
  • Joseph Bonaparte, King of Naples and Spain

Politics

• Chief Joseph, Nez Perce tribal leader
• Gamamedaliyanage Joseph Lalith Neomal Perera (born 1965), Sri Lankan Member of Parliament
• Jusuf Anwar (1941-2915), Indonesian politician, diplomat
• Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, 46th and current President of the United States (2021–present); 47th Vice President of the United States (2009–2017); U.S. Senator from Delaware (1973–2009)
• Joseph "Beau" Robinette Biden (1969–2015), American lawyer, soldier and politician, son of Joe Biden
• Joseph Carraro, State Senator from New Mexico
• Joseph Cook, Prime Minister of Australia
• Joseph Estrada, 13th President of the Philippines
• Joseph Goebbels, German politician and propaganda minister of Nazi Germany
• Joseph Kabui, first President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville
• Jusuf Kalla, 10th Vice President of Indonesia, 2004-09
• Joseph P. Kennedy, American businessman, financier and politician
• Joseph P. Kennedy II (born 1952), oldest son of Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and former Congressman from Massachusetts, 1987–1999
• Joe Kennedy (born 1980), son of Joseph P. Kennedy II and Congressman from Massachusetts, 2013–present
• Joe Kennedy (Georgia politician) (1930–1997), American politician from Georgia
• Joe Lieberman, US Senator from Connecticut
• Joseph Lyons, Prime Minister of Australia
• Joseph McCarthy, US Senator from Wisconsin
• Joseph Michael Perera (born 1941), Sri Lankan politician
• Sir Joseph Planta (1787–1847), English politician
• Joe Sevario, American politician
• Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953
• Joseph Vidal (1933–2020), French politician
• Joseph Wapasha, Mdewakanton Sioux chief
• Joe the Plumber, figure mentioned at least 20 times during the 2008 US presidential debates
• Josip Broz Tito, leader of the Yugoslav Partisans in World War II, then the Prime Minister and later President of SFR Yugoslavia from 1944 until his death in 1980.

Arts and entertainment

• Joseph Albrier, French painter
• Joseph Barbera, American cartoonist
• Joseph Brodsky, Russian and American poet and essayist
• Harry Connick, Jr. (Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr.), American singer, actor and pianist
• Joseph Connors, American art historian
• Joseph Conrad, Polish-British writer
• Joseph Cotten, American actor
• Joseph Dempsie, British actor
• Joseph Dennie, American writer
• Joe Dolan, Irish showband singer
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor
• Joe Hawley, American singer, songwriter, and musician
• Joseph Hahn, American musician
• Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer
• Joseph Heller, American author
• Michael Joseph Jackson (1958-2009), American singer
• Joe Jonas, lead vocals, the Jonas Brothers
• Josef Jungmann, Czech poet and linguist
• Joseph Kaiser, Canadian opera singer
• Joseph Koo, Hong Kong composer and arranger
• Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American film director, producer and screenwriter
• Joseph Mazzello, American actor
• Joe McElderry, British singer and winner of The X Factor
• Joseph Carey Merrick, the "Elephant Man"
• Joseph Nevels, also known as JSPH, singer/songwriter
• Joe Pasquale, winner of the 4th series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
• Joe Pesci, American actor
• Joe Ruby (born 1933), American cartoonist and producer
• Joe Strummer, English musician
• Joseph Pickett, American painter
• Joe Perry, Aerosmith lead guitarist
• Joe Satriani, instrumental rock guitarist
• Joseph Simmons, aka DJ Run, of rap group Run-DMC
• Joe Sugg, British YouTuber
• Joseph Vijay, Tamil actor
• Joseph Wiseman (1918–2009), Canadian actor
• Joss Whedon, American screenwriter, director and producer

Sports

• Joseph "Doc" Alexander, American NFL football player and coach
• Joseph Anoa'i, Samoan-American wrestler
• Joseph Charlton (born 1997), American football player
• Joe Choynski, American boxer
• Joe Clancy, American football player
• Joseph Daye, Australian footballer
• Joe DiMaggio, American baseball player
• Joe Frazier, American boxer
• Joe Garagiola, American baseball player and broadcaster
• Joe Gomez, English footballer
• Joseph Hagerty, American gymnast
• Joe Hart, English football player
• Joe Horlen, American baseball player
• Joe Jacobi, American canoer
• Joe Jacobson, Welsh soccer player
• Joe Kaminer, South African rugby player
• Joe Katchik, American football player
• Joe Keeble, American football player
• Joe Lamas, American football player
• Joseph Louis Barrow, American boxer and heavyweight champion better known as "Joe Louis"
• Joe Magidsohn, Russian, American football player
• Joseph Marwa, Tanzanian boxer
• Joe Mauer, American baseball player
• Joe McGlone (1896–1963), American football player
• Joe Minucci (born 1981), American football player
• Joe Montana, Hall of Fame NFL quarterback
• Joseph Noteboom (born 1995), American football player
• Joseph Odom (born 1992), American professional baseball catcher
• Joe O'Malley, American football player
• Joseph Oosting, Dutch football player
• Joseph Paulo, New Zealand rugby player
• Joe Paterno, Penn State football coach
• Joe Pavelski (born 1984), American ice hockey player
• Joe Picker (born 1987), Australian rugby player
• Joe Prokop (born 1960), American football player
• Joe Prokop (halfback) (1921–1995), American football player
• Joe Righetti (born 1947), American football player
• Joe Schilling, American kick-boxer
• Joseph Schooling, Singaporean swimmer
• Joe Stringfellow (1918–1992), American football player
• Joseph Tapine (born 1994), New Zealand rugby league player
• Joseph Ualesi, Australian rugby player
• Joseph Valtellini (born 1985), Canadian kickboxer
• Joe Vetrano (1918–1995), American football player
• Joe Vodicka, American football player
• Joe Winkler (1922–2001), American football player
• Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (born 1974), Sri Lankan cricketer

Religion

• Joseph Ayo Babalola, Nigerian religious figure
• Joseph Gelfer, British researcher in religion and masculinities
• Joseph F. Merrill, American Latter-day Saint apostle
• Joseph (Petrovykh) (1872–1937), metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church
• Joseph Ponniah, 1st Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Batticaloa
• Joseph Ratzinger, given name of Pope Benedict XVI
• Joseph Sarvananthan, Sri Lankan Tamil Anglican priest
• Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
• Joseph Smith III, son of Joseph Smith and founder of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
• Joseph F. Smith, 6th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Joseph Fielding Smith, 10th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Joseph Vaz, Indian Catholic priest, "Apostle of Sri Lanka"
• Joseph B. Wirthlin, American Latter-day Saint apostle
• Joseph Angell Young, American Latter-day Saint apostle
• Rayappu Joseph, 2nd Bishop of Mannar
• Joseph Prince, a pastor and IT consultant

Scholars

• Joseph von Baader (1763–1835), German engineer and rail transport pioneer
• Josef Dobrovský, Czech philologist and historian
• Joseph W. Esherick, American historian of China
• Joseph Peter de Fonseka (1897-1948), Sri Lankan essayist and editor
• Joseph Dalton Hooker, British botanist
• Joseph Mercado, Filipino statistician
• Joseph S. Murphy (1933-1998), American President of Queens College, President of Bennington College, and Chancellor of the City University of New York
• Joseph Planta (librarian) (1744–1828), Swiss principal librarian of the British Museum
• Joe Root, a 19th-century American naturalist from Erie, Pennsylvania
• Joseph Polchinski, theoretical physicist and string theorist

Inventors

• Joseph Glidden, created barbed wire
• Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, first person to create a permanent photograph

Crime

• Joseph D. "Joe" Ball (1896-1938), American murderer and suspected serial killer
• Joseph Christopher (1955-1993), American serial killer
• Joseph James DeAngelo (born 1945), suspected American serial killer and rapist
• Joseph Duncan III (born 1963), American serial killer, rapist, and kidnapper
• Joseph Paul Franklin (1950-2013), American serial killer, arsonist, bank robber, and neo-nazi
• Joseph Kallinger (1935-1996), American serial killer and rapist
• Joseph Massino (born 1943), former boss of Bonanno crime family
• Joseph Mengele (1911-1979), Nazi scientist
• Joseph Scott Pemberton (, a US Marine lance corporal who was charged with homicide for the killing of Jennifer Laude, a Filipino trans woman
• Joseph Rosenzweig, (1891–????), American New York City labor racketeer
• Joseph Skowron (born c.1969), American portfolio manager convicted of insider trading

Fictional characters

• Joseph Joestar (ジョセフ・ジョースター), the main protagonist of Part 2: Battle Tendency in the manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
• Joseph Seed, the main antagonist of the video game Far Cry 5

Other

• Joseph Fenton, informer killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
• Joseph Fitzgerald (disambiguation), multiple people
• Joseph B. MacInnis (born 1937), Canadian physician, underwater diver and author
• Joseph Oliver (disambiguation), multiple people
• Joseph Wilf (1925–2016), Polish-born American businessman

See also

• Joe (disambiguation)
• Josef (disambiguation)
• Jozef
• József
• Saint Joseph (disambiguation)
• Yosef (disambiguation), a variation of the name in Hebrew, and the Dutch eye dialect of the name
• Yusuf (disambiguation), as rendered in Islam/Arabic

References