Joseph
#8,362 for girls in 2025, 12 births · #29 for boys in 2025, 7,303 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1917 · 24,761 births
- Debut · boys
- 2,632 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 146 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 2,669,490since 1880
Joseph over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #8,362 | 12 | #29 | 7,303 |
| 2024 | #15,293 | 5 | #32 | 7,261 |
| 2023 | #8,486 | 12 | #29 | 7,279 |
| 2022 | #10,383 | 9 | #30 | 7,839 |
| 2021 | #11,146 | 8 | #28 | 8,166 |
| 2020 | #10,250 | 9 | #26 | 8,486 |
| 2019 | #7,025 | 16 | #24 | 9,179 |
| 2018 | #7,409 | 15 | #23 | 9,682 |
| 2017 | #6,287 | 19 | #18 | 10,488 |
| 2016 | #8,393 | 13 | #20 | 10,969 |
| 2015 | #8,931 | 12 | #21 | 11,531 |
| 2014 | #14,558 | 6 | #20 | 12,155 |
| 2013 | #6,255 | 20 | #20 | 12,278 |
| 2012 | #7,456 | 16 | #19 | 12,594 |
| 2011 | #5,728 | 23 | #22 | 12,995 |
| 2010 | #7,513 | 16 | #20 | 13,851 |
| 2009 | #6,544 | 20 | #15 | 14,952 |
| 2008 | #4,882 | 30 | #13 | 16,599 |
| 2007 | #5,097 | 28 | #13 | 17,364 |
| 2006 | #4,811 | 29 | #11 | 18,471 |
| 2005 | #3,942 | 36 | #9 | 19,241 |
| 2004 | #1,835 | 103 | #9 | 20,147 |
| 2003 | #4,220 | 31 | #6 | 21,394 |
| 2002 | #3,730 | 35 | #7 | 21,920 |
| 2001 | #4,447 | 27 | #8 | 22,030 |
| 2000 | #4,791 | 24 | #8 | 22,844 |
| 1999 | #2,991 | 44 | #8 | 23,220 |
| 1998 | #2,691 | 50 | #11 | 23,186 |
| 1997 | #2,733 | 45 | #12 | 23,604 |
| 1996 | #2,451 | 52 | #12 | 24,758 |
| 1995 | #2,155 | 62 | #12 | 25,354 |
| 1994 | #1,841 | 77 | #11 | 25,734 |
| 1993 | #2,045 | 67 | #12 | 27,014 |
| 1992 | #2,010 | 68 | #11 | 27,904 |
| 1991 | #1,677 | 88 | #9 | 29,840 |
| 1990 | #1,733 | 84 | #10 | 30,137 |
| 1989 | #1,178 | 139 | #11 | 29,884 |
| 1988 | #930 | 182 | #12 | 29,019 |
| 1987 | #805 | 217 | #12 | 28,516 |
| 1986 | #807 | 208 | #12 | 28,834 |
| 1985 | #755 | 227 | #10 | 30,222 |
| 1984 | #763 | 211 | #10 | 30,513 |
| 1983 | #763 | 211 | #11 | 30,442 |
| 1982 | #810 | 196 | #11 | 31,035 |
| 1981 | #841 | 186 | #11 | 30,761 |
| 1980 | #763 | 217 | #10 | 30,185 |
| 1979 | #769 | 209 | #11 | 28,654 |
| 1978 | #828 | 180 | #10 | 26,663 |
| 1977 | #844 | 176 | #10 | 26,483 |
| 1976 | #921 | 142 | #12 | 24,055 |
| 1975 | #951 | 132 | #12 | 22,125 |
| 1974 | #984 | 124 | #12 | 21,834 |
| 1973 | #917 | 134 | #12 | 21,326 |
| 1972 | #949 | 128 | #12 | 22,454 |
| 1971 | #895 | 148 | #15 | 24,517 |
| 1970 | #929 | 138 | #16 | 26,714 |
| 1969 | #832 | 154 | #15 | 26,173 |
| 1968 | #887 | 134 | #16 | 25,396 |
| 1967 | #926 | 122 | #15 | 25,926 |
| 1966 | #1,042 | 100 | #15 | 26,981 |
| 1965 | #922 | 120 | #11 | 28,630 |
| 1964 | #969 | 119 | #11 | 30,576 |
| 1963 | #894 | 137 | #13 | 30,077 |
| 1962 | #1,054 | 105 | #13 | 30,090 |
| 1961 | #1,031 | 112 | #12 | 29,450 |
| 1960 | #976 | 120 | #12 | 29,749 |
| 1959 | #1,116 | 92 | #13 | 29,539 |
| 1958 | #1,189 | 80 | #12 | 30,115 |
| 1957 | #1,083 | 93 | #12 | 31,851 |
| 1956 | #1,133 | 83 | #12 | 32,749 |
| 1955 | #1,095 | 84 | #13 | 31,589 |
| 1954 | #1,134 | 76 | #13 | 31,221 |
| 1953 | #1,241 | 61 | #13 | 29,269 |
| 1952 | #1,147 | 68 | #12 | 28,510 |
| 1951 | #1,292 | 52 | #14 | 28,147 |
| 1950 | #1,153 | 64 | #13 | 27,022 |
| 1949 | #1,210 | 56 | #14 | 26,408 |
| 1948 | #1,057 | 69 | #13 | 26,801 |
| 1947 | #1,079 | 68 | #14 | 27,520 |
| 1946 | #1,087 | 61 | #14 | 24,284 |
| 1945 | #1,015 | 58 | #14 | 20,823 |
| 1944 | #841 | 82 | #13 | 21,176 |
| 1943 | #986 | 65 | #13 | 22,828 |
| 1942 | #864 | 79 | #11 | 22,429 |
| 1941 | #903 | 66 | #12 | 19,808 |
| 1940 | #894 | 64 | #12 | 18,208 |
| 1939 | #903 | 60 | #12 | 17,722 |
| 1938 | #811 | 75 | #12 | 17,742 |
| 1937 | #882 | 61 | #12 | 17,322 |
| 1936 | #806 | 70 | #11 | 17,453 |
| 1935 | #775 | 76 | #10 | 17,181 |
| 1934 | #710 | 87 | #10 | 17,111 |
| 1933 | #656 | 100 | #9 | 17,162 |
| 1932 | #656 | 104 | #9 | 18,566 |
| 1931 | #626 | 112 | #9 | 19,326 |
| 1930 | #574 | 141 | #9 | 20,981 |
| 1929 | #540 | 159 | #9 | 21,165 |
| 1928 | #513 | 182 | #9 | 22,322 |
| 1927 | #547 | 167 | #9 | 23,503 |
| 1926 | #562 | 161 | #8 | 23,756 |
| 1925 | #637 | 132 | #7 | 24,613 |
| 1924 | #643 | 135 | #7 | 25,421 |
| 1923 | #708 | 106 | #7 | 25,561 |
| 1922 | #711 | 104 | #7 | 25,699 |
| 1921 | #675 | 120 | #7 | 26,182 |
| 1920 | #687 | 112 | #7 | 25,587 |
| 1919 | #743 | 89 | #7 | 24,266 |
| 1918 | #751 | 90 | #7 | 26,261 |
| 1917 | #713 | 94 | #5 | 24,761 |
| 1916 | #782 | 77 | #5 | 23,883 |
| 1915 | #791 | 69 | #5 | 23,051 |
| 1914 | #692 | 69 | #5 | 18,829 |
| 1913 | #852 | 38 | #5 | 14,471 |
| 1912 | #757 | 44 | #5 | 12,062 |
| 1911 | #811 | 28 | #6 | 6,488 |
| 1910 | #794 | 29 | #6 | 5,228 |
| 1909 | #731 | 30 | #6 | 4,348 |
| 1908 | #849 | 21 | #6 | 4,162 |
| 1907 | #1,142 | 12 | #7 | 3,844 |
| 1906 | #793 | 21 | #7 | 3,527 |
| 1905 | #777 | 22 | #7 | 3,302 |
| 1904 | #853 | 18 | #7 | 3,291 |
| 1903 | #969 | 13 | #6 | 3,121 |
| 1902 | #1,320 | 8 | #7 | 3,098 |
| 1901 | #881 | 14 | #6 | 2,766 |
| 1900 | #1,008 | 14 | #7 | 3,714 |
| 1899 | #728 | 19 | #6 | 2,679 |
| 1898 | #679 | 23 | #6 | 3,171 |
| 1897 | #699 | 20 | #6 | 2,827 |
| 1896 | #635 | 24 | #6 | 3,051 |
| 1895 | #638 | 23 | #7 | 2,992 |
| 1894 | #719 | 17 | #6 | 2,977 |
| 1893 | #547 | 26 | #6 | 2,997 |
| 1892 | #830 | 13 | #7 | 3,064 |
| 1891 | #839 | 11 | #7 | 2,572 |
| 1890 | #825 | 11 | #7 | 2,670 |
| 1889 | #1,025 | 7 | #7 | 2,729 |
| 1888 | #593 | 18 | #7 | 2,993 |
| 1887 | #633 | 13 | #7 | 2,456 |
| 1886 | #828 | 8 | #7 | 2,594 |
| 1885 | #576 | 14 | #7 | 2,540 |
| 1884 | #731 | 9 | #7 | 2,707 |
| 1883 | #465 | 17 | #7 | 2,515 |
| 1882 | #813 | 6 | #7 | 2,670 |
| 1881 | #539 | 10 | #7 | 2,456 |
| 1880 | #547 | 10 | #7 | 2,632 |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Joseph was already there! It came in at #7, and was given to 2,632 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1899, when fewer than 3,200 boys a year got the name.
Where Joseph is popular in 1881
The SSA only publishes names by state from 1910 on.
See more about Joseph
- 3 spots since 2024 (#32 → #29)
- 3 spots since 2020 (#26 → #29)
- 8 spots since 2015 (#21 → #29)
- Biggest jump: 3 spots in 1972 (#15 → #12)
- Biggest drop: 5 spots in 2010 (#15 → #20)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1917 at #5 (24,761 births)
- Births halved by 2013, 96 yrs later
- Top 10: 70 yrs · run 1880–1935
- Top 100: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Highest: 1 in 35 boys born in 1914 were named Joseph (2.9%)
- Latest: 1 in 234 boys born in 2025 (0.43%)
- Its best rank, #5 in 1917, was only 1 in 37 (2.7%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 11.2% of all boys named Joseph (300,012) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 26,292 | #7 (1888) | #7 |
| 1890s | 29,000 | #6 (1898) | #6 |
| 1900s | 35,173 | #6 (1909) | #7 |
| 1910s | 179,300 | #5 (1917) | #6 |
| 1920s | 243,809 | #7 (1921) | #8 |
| 1930s | 180,566 | #9 (1930) | #10 |
| 1940s | 230,285 | #11 (1942) | #13 |
| 1950s | 300,012 | #12 (1956) | #13 |
| 1960s | 283,048 | #11 (1964) | #13 |
| 1970s | 244,825 | #10 (1978) | #12 |
| 1980s | 299,411 | #10 (1984) | #11 |
| 1990s | 260,751 | #8 (1999) | #11 |
| 2000s | 194,962 | #6 (2003) | #10 |
| 2010s | 115,722 | #18 (2017) | #21 |
| 2020s | 46,334 | #26 (2020) | #29 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Joseph in 1881
Top girls' names in 1881
Top boys' names in 1881
More about 1881
girls
91,953 girls got a published name in 1881; 1 in 9,195 of them was named Joseph, which outranked 42.5% of the 938 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #503Walter11
- #503Winona11
- #503Zadie11
- #539Joseph10
- #539Agatha10
- #539Almira10
- #539Arrie10
- #582Amie9
- #582Ana9
- #582Angela9
Tied with 42 names at #539; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
- ↓ 381Avis#449 → #830
- ↓ 365Clementine#375 → #740
- ↓ 364Eleanore#466 → #830
- ↓ 364Lonnie#466 → #830
- ↓ 319Luvenia#421 → #740
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
100,735 boys got a published name in 1881; 1 in 41 of them was named Joseph, which outranked 99.3% of the 996 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 43.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).