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

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
#5
1917 · 24,761 births
Debut · boys
1880
2,632 births
In top 100 · boys
146 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
2,669,490
since 1880

Joseph over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10rank188019001920194019601980200020201954peak #5, 1917boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#8,36212#297,303
2024#15,2935#327,261
2023#8,48612#297,279
2022#10,3839#307,839
2021#11,1468#288,166
2020#10,2509#268,486
2019#7,02516#249,179
2018#7,40915#239,682
2017#6,28719#1810,488
2016#8,39313#2010,969
2015#8,93112#2111,531
2014#14,5586#2012,155
2013#6,25520#2012,278
2012#7,45616#1912,594
2011#5,72823#2212,995
2010#7,51316#2013,851
2009#6,54420#1514,952
2008#4,88230#1316,599
2007#5,09728#1317,364
2006#4,81129#1118,471
2005#3,94236#919,241
2004#1,835103#920,147
2003#4,22031#621,394
2002#3,73035#721,920
2001#4,44727#822,030
2000#4,79124#822,844
1999#2,99144#823,220
1998#2,69150#1123,186
1997#2,73345#1223,604
1996#2,45152#1224,758
1995#2,15562#1225,354
1994#1,84177#1125,734
1993#2,04567#1227,014
1992#2,01068#1127,904
1991#1,67788#929,840
1990#1,73384#1030,137
1989#1,178139#1129,884
1988#930182#1229,019
1987#805217#1228,516
1986#807208#1228,834
1985#755227#1030,222
1984#763211#1030,513
1983#763211#1130,442
1982#810196#1131,035
1981#841186#1130,761
1980#763217#1030,185
1979#769209#1128,654
1978#828180#1026,663
1977#844176#1026,483
1976#921142#1224,055
1975#951132#1222,125
1974#984124#1221,834
1973#917134#1221,326
1972#949128#1222,454
1971#895148#1524,517
1970#929138#1626,714
1969#832154#1526,173
1968#887134#1625,396
1967#926122#1525,926
1966#1,042100#1526,981
1965#922120#1128,630
1964#969119#1130,576
1963#894137#1330,077
1962#1,054105#1330,090
1961#1,031112#1229,450
1960#976120#1229,749
1959#1,11692#1329,539
1958#1,18980#1230,115
1957#1,08393#1231,851
1956#1,13383#1232,749
1955#1,09584#1331,589
1954#1,13476#1331,221
1953#1,24161#1329,269
1952#1,14768#1228,510
1951#1,29252#1428,147
1950#1,15364#1327,022
1949#1,21056#1426,408
1948#1,05769#1326,801
1947#1,07968#1427,520
1946#1,08761#1424,284
1945#1,01558#1420,823
1944#84182#1321,176
1943#98665#1322,828
1942#86479#1122,429
1941#90366#1219,808
1940#89464#1218,208
1939#90360#1217,722
1938#81175#1217,742
1937#88261#1217,322
1936#80670#1117,453
1935#77576#1017,181
1934#71087#1017,111
1933#656100#917,162
1932#656104#918,566
1931#626112#919,326
1930#574141#920,981
1929#540159#921,165
1928#513182#922,322
1927#547167#923,503
1926#562161#823,756
1925#637132#724,613
1924#643135#725,421
1923#708106#725,561
1922#711104#725,699
1921#675120#726,182
1920#687112#725,587
1919#74389#724,266
1918#75190#726,261
1917#71394#524,761
1916#78277#523,883
1915#79169#523,051
1914#69269#518,829
1913#85238#514,471
1912#75744#512,062
1911#81128#66,488
1910#79429#65,228
1909#73130#64,348
1908#84921#64,162
1907#1,14212#73,844
1906#79321#73,527
1905#77722#73,302
1904#85318#73,291
1903#96913#63,121
1902#1,3208#73,098
1901#88114#62,766
1900#1,00814#73,714
1899#72819#62,679
1898#67923#63,171
1897#69920#62,827
1896#63524#63,051
1895#63823#72,992
1894#71917#62,977
1893#54726#62,997
1892#83013#73,064
1891#83911#72,572
1890#82511#72,670
1889#1,0257#72,729
1888#59318#72,993
1887#63313#72,456
1886#8288#72,594
1885#57614#72,540
1884#7319#72,707
1883#46517#72,515
1882#8136#72,670
1881#53910#72,456
1880#54710#72,632
First appearance
1880

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 1954

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #19 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 83 boysAKMaine: #21 for boys · 125 births · 1 in 82 boysMEVermont: #21 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 77 boysVTNew Hampshire: #31 for boys · 55 births · 1 in 103 boysNHWashington: #32 for boys · 257 births · 1 in 120 boysWAIdaho: #37 for boys · 47 births · 1 in 158 boysIDMontana: #22 for boys · 89 births · 1 in 84 boysMTNorth Dakota: #42 for boys · 44 births · 1 in 175 boysNDMinnesota: #24 for boys · 479 births · 1 in 81 boysMNIllinois: #13 for boys · 1,681 births · 1 in 63 boysILWisconsin: #17 for boys · 615 births · 1 in 72 boysWIMichigan: #18 for boys · 1,284 births · 1 in 73 boysMINew York: #9 for boys · 4,851 births · 1 in 35 boysNYMassachusetts: #11 for boys · 1,423 births · 1 in 37 boysMARhode Island: #8 for boys · 317 births · 1 in 29 boysRIOregon: #29 for boys · 162 births · 1 in 112 boysORNevada: #19 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 75 boysNVWyoming: #24 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 92 boysWYSouth Dakota: #33 for boys · 70 births · 1 in 117 boysSDIowa: #32 for boys · 278 births · 1 in 111 boysIAIndiana: #23 for boys · 684 births · 1 in 77 boysINOhio: #17 for boys · 1,694 births · 1 in 64 boysOHPennsylvania: #9 for boys · 3,600 births · 1 in 33 boysPANew Jersey: #8 for boys · 1,839 births · 1 in 31 boysNJConnecticut: #10 for boys · 580 births · 1 in 41 boysCTCalifornia: #22 for boys · 1,624 births · 1 in 95 boysCAUtah: #25 for boys · 107 births · 1 in 106 boysUTColorado: #16 for boys · 277 births · 1 in 68 boysCONebraska: #26 for boys · 157 births · 1 in 98 boysNEMissouri: #22 for boys · 555 births · 1 in 84 boysMOKentucky: #17 for boys · 500 births · 1 in 74 boysKYWest Virginia: #18 for boys · 297 births · 1 in 76 boysWVVirginia: #14 for boys · 600 births · 1 in 73 boysVAMaryland: #10 for boys · 683 births · 1 in 44 boysMDDelaware: #10 for boys · 114 births · 1 in 37 boysDEArizona: #21 for boys · 134 births · 1 in 97 boysAZNew Mexico: #10 for boys · 171 births · 1 in 68 boysNMKansas: #27 for boys · 204 births · 1 in 119 boysKSArkansas: #40 for boys · 122 births · 1 in 172 boysARTennessee: #31 for boys · 326 births · 1 in 128 boysTNNorth Carolina: #16 for boys · 679 births · 1 in 81 boysNCSouth Carolina: #13 for boys · 427 births · 1 in 73 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #10 for boys · 307 births · 1 in 48 boysDCOklahoma: #40 for boys · 138 births · 1 in 179 boysOKLouisiana: #8 for boys · 754 births · 1 in 53 boysLAMississippi: #22 for boys · 262 births · 1 in 112 boysMSAlabama: #19 for boys · 428 births · 1 in 91 boysALGeorgia: #18 for boys · 553 births · 1 in 88 boysGAHawaii: #11 for boys · 96 births · 1 in 72 boysHITexas: #31 for boys · 803 births · 1 in 151 boysTXFlorida: #14 for boys · 572 births · 1 in 72 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Rhode Island#8 · 1 in 29
  2. New Jersey#8 · 1 in 31
  3. Louisiana#8 · 1 in 53
  4. Pennsylvania#9 · 1 in 33
  5. New York#9 · 1 in 35

Best ever in a state: #2 in New Hampshire, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Louisiana#87541 in 53
New Jersey#81,8391 in 31
Rhode Island#83171 in 29
New York#94,8511 in 35
Pennsylvania#93,6001 in 33
Connecticut#105801 in 41
Delaware#101141 in 37
District of Columbia#103071 in 48
Maryland#106831 in 44
New Mexico#101711 in 68
Hawaii#11961 in 72
Massachusetts#111,4231 in 37
Illinois#131,6811 in 63
South Carolina#134271 in 73
Florida#145721 in 72
Virginia#146001 in 73
Colorado#162771 in 68
North Carolina#166791 in 81
Kentucky#175001 in 74
Ohio#171,6941 in 64
Wisconsin#176151 in 72
Georgia#185531 in 88
Michigan#181,2841 in 73
West Virginia#182971 in 76
Alabama#194281 in 91
Alaska#19361 in 83
Nevada#19301 in 75
Arizona#211341 in 97
Maine#211251 in 82
Vermont#21521 in 77
California#221,6241 in 95
Mississippi#222621 in 112
Missouri#225551 in 84
Montana#22891 in 84
Indiana#236841 in 77
Minnesota#244791 in 81
Wyoming#24391 in 92
Utah#251071 in 106
Nebraska#261571 in 98
Kansas#272041 in 119
Oregon#291621 in 112
New Hampshire#31551 in 103
Tennessee#313261 in 128
Texas#318031 in 151
Iowa#322781 in 111
Washington#322571 in 120
South Dakota#33701 in 117
Idaho#37471 in 158
Arkansas#401221 in 172
Oklahoma#401381 in 179
North Dakota#42441 in 175

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Joseph
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 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)
Rise & fade · boys
37 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1917 at #5 (24,761 births)
  • Births halved by 2013, 96 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 10 for 70 yrs
  • Top 10: 70 yrs · run 1880–1935
  • Top 100: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 35
  • 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
Era · boys
The 1950s
  • 11.2% of all boys named Joseph (300,012) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s26,292#7 (1888)#7
1890s29,000#6 (1898)#6
1900s35,173#6 (1909)#7
1910s179,300#5 (1917)#6
1920s243,809#7 (1921)#8
1930s180,566#9 (1930)#10
1940s230,285#11 (1942)#13
1950s300,012#12 (1956)#13
1960s283,048#11 (1964)#13
1970s244,825#10 (1978)#12
1980s299,411#10 (1984)#11
1990s260,751#8 (1999)#11
2000s194,962#6 (2003)#10
2010s115,722#18 (2017)#21
2020s46,334#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 1954

girls
#1,134
76 births · 1 in 25,552 girls
boys
#13
31,221 births · 1 in 65 boys

Top girls' names in 1954

  1. #1Mary68,019
  2. #2Linda55,371
  3. #3Deborah54,674
  4. #4Patricia49,149
  5. #5Susan47,162
  6. #6Debra45,896
  7. #7Barbara36,368
  8. #8Karen32,456
  9. #9Nancy30,270
  10. #10Cynthia27,615
  11. #1,134Joseph76

Top boys' names in 1954

  1. #1Michael88,568
  2. #2Robert86,331
  3. #3James86,311
  4. #4John81,168
  5. #5David79,556
  6. #6William61,426
  7. #7Richard57,042
  8. #8Thomas47,159
  9. #9Gary37,920
  10. #10Charles37,463
  11. #13Joseph31,221
More about 1954

girls

1,941,915 girls got a published name in 1954; 1 in 25,552 of them was named Joseph, which outranked 82.9% of the 6,625 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joseph
  1. #1,123Phillis77
  2. #1,123Shawna77
  3. #1,123Vida77
  4. #1,134Joseph76
  5. #1,134Darline76
  6. #1,134Elinor76
  7. #1,134Elvia76
  8. #1,140Charolette75
  9. #1,140Cherryl75
  10. #1,140Ellyn75

Tied with 5 names at #1,134; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1953
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,699Sherree#2,699 → #1,000
  2. ↑ 1,434Sabrina#2,236 → #802
  3. ↑ 932Valinda#1,738 → #806
  4. ↑ 748Sheree#1,071 → #323
  5. ↑ 421Sherie#1,248 → #827
Fallers
  1. ↓ 396Enola#948 → #1,344
  2. ↓ 311Ila#782 → #1,093
  3. ↓ 302Nancie#816 → #1,118
  4. ↓ 282Arline#904 → #1,186
  5. ↓ 269Candyce#944 → #1,213

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

2,038,751 boys got a published name in 1954; 1 in 65 of them was named Joseph, which outranked 99.7% of the 4,360 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joseph
  1. #10Charles37,463
  2. #11Steven36,628
  3. #12Mark36,198
  4. #13Joseph31,221
  5. #14Donald29,279
  6. #15Ronald27,625
  7. #16Paul26,220
Biggest movers since 1953
Risers
  1. ↑ 592Ricci#1,331 → #739
  2. ↑ 470Demetrius#1,357 → #887
  3. ↑ 382Crawford#1,378 → #996
  4. ↑ 310Gavin#1,139 → #829
  5. ↑ 296Dino#1,058 → #762
Fallers
  1. ↓ 504Arlin#878 → #1,382
  2. ↓ 347Adan#895 → #1,242
  3. ↓ 345Dayton#966 → #1,311
  4. ↓ 302Garey#966 → #1,268
  5. ↓ 293Bartholomew#975 → #1,268

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1954 →