Namesake.

Joseph

Boy Hebrew #8691 in 2023

Joseph is a boy name of Hebrew origin.

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Meaning of Joseph

Eleventh and favorite son of Jacob, by his wife Rachel. From Ioseph, ultimately from יוֹסֵף; a son of Jacob.

Popularity of Joseph

Popularity, 1880–2023
7,280 births in 2023
1880 2023

2,654,817 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023. Used for both boys and girls — see notes below.

Peak year
1956
32,831 babies
First recorded
1880
Earliest SSA data
Recent trend
Falling
Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Prophet

يُوسُف

Yūsuf

Yusuf is the prophet whose life story — betrayal by his brothers, servitude, imprisonment, rise to power in Egypt, and reunion with his family — fills Sura 12, described in the Qur’an as "the best of stories" (aḥsanu al-qaṣaṣ).

From the Qur’an

"When Yusuf said to his father, ‘O my father, indeed I have seen eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me.’"

— Qur’an, Yusuf 12:4

"He said, ‘No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you; and He is the most merciful of the merciful.’"

— Qur’an, Yusuf 12:92

The entire Sura Yusuf (111 verses) is devoted to his story — the only sura in the Qur’an to tell one prophet’s narrative from beginning to end.

Joseph / Yusuf / Yosef

The prophet Joseph, son of Jacob, sold into Egypt and risen to vizier. His story is told in Surah Yusuf (the Qur’an’s only chapter dedicated to a single prophet) and in Genesis 37–50.

Related guide

30 Quranic Baby Names for Boys and Girls (With Verses)

30 names drawn from the Qur’an — prophets, named and referenced women, and meaningful Arabic concepts — each with its verse reference and classical meaning.

Read the full guide →
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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Etymology adapted from Wiktionary under CC BY-SA 4.0. If you spot an error, please let us know.