Joseph is a common male

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

, derived from the Hebrew

Yosef Yosef (; also transliterated as Yossef, Josef, Yoseph Tiberian Hebrew and Aramaic ''Yôsēp̄'') is a Hebrew male name derived from the Biblical character Joseph. The name can also consist of the Hebrew yadah meaning "praise", "fame" and the word ...

(יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic countries. In

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

, the name is "

José José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

". In

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

, including in the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...

, the name is spelled ''

Yūsuf Yusuf ( ar, يوسف, ; Arabic synonym of "Joseph") is the 12th chapter (Surah) of the Quran and has 111 Ayahs (verses). It is preceded by sūrah Hud and followed by Ar-Ra’d (The thunder). Regarding the timing and contextual background of ...

''. In

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

, 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 The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

'', to have remained in the top 10 boys' names list in the US from 1925 to 1972. 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. In the

Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek ; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית ''Bəreʾšīt'', "In hebeginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, ( "In the beginning") ...

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...

's eleventh son and

Rachel Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...

's first son, and known in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...

Yossef Yosef (; also transliterated as Yossef, Josef, Yoseph Tiberian Hebrew and Aramaic ''Yôsēp̄'') is a Hebrew male name derived from the Biblical character Joseph. The name can also consist of the Hebrew yadah meaning "praise", "fame" and the word ...

ben-

Yaakov Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ja ...

. In the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

the most notable two are

, the husband of

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

, the mother of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

; and

Joseph of Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical gospels, the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. The historical location of Arimathea is uncertain, although it has been identified with several t ...

, 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."Friedman, R. E., ''The Bible with Sources Revealed'' (2003), p. 80 ''

The Jewish Encyclopedia ''The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' is an English-language encyclopedia containing over 15,000 articles on th ...

'' says that it is a

theophoric A theophoric name (from Greek language, Greek: , ''theophoros'', literally "bearing or carrying a god") embeds the word equivalent of 'god' or God's name in a person's name, reflecting something about the character of the person so named in relat ...

name referencing

YHWH The Tetragrammaton (; ), or Tetragram, is the four-letter Hebrew theonym (transliterated as YHWH), the name of God in the Hebrew Bible. The four letters, written and read from right to left (in Hebrew), are ''yodh'', '' he'', ''waw'', and '' ...

. 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 Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

: Josef, Joesoef *

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

: Jozë ''(indefinite)'', Joza ''(definite)'', Zef ''(indef.)'', Zefi ''(def.)'', Josif ''(indef.)'', Josifi ''(def.)'', Isuf ''(indef.)'', Isufi ''(def.)'', Bibë ''(indef.)'', Biba ''(def.)'' * Alemmanic: Sepp, Seppu * Alsatian: Sepp *

Amharic Amharic ( or ; (Amharic: ), ', ) is an Ethiopian Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amharas, and also serves as a lingua franca for all oth ...

: ዮሴፍ (''Yosēfi'') *

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

: Հովսեփ, Յովսէփ (''Hovsep'') *

: يوسف (''Yūsif'', ''Youssef'', ''Yussef'', ''Yousif, Yousef'', ''Youssof'', ''Yūsuf'') * Azerbaijani: Yusif, Yusuf, Usub *

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

: Joseba, Josepe * Bavarian: Sepp, Bepperl, Beppe, Beppi, * Belarusian: Іосіф (''Iosif''), Язэп (''Jazep'') *

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

: ইউসুফ (''Iusuf'' or ''Yusuf'') (Islamic), জোসেফ (''Josef'') (Christian) * Bosnian: Josip, Jusuf *

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

: Jozef, Jozeb *

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

: Йосиф (''Yosif'') * Burmese (Myanmar): ယောသပ်သည် (''Yaw sautsai'') *

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...

: 約瑟 (''Joek³ sat¹'') *

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

: Josep, Pep (shortened form), Jep (an alternative shortened form) * Circassian: Юсыф (''Yusyf'') * Cornish: Josep * Corsican: Ghjaseppu, Ghjiseppu * Croatian: Josip, Joso, Jozo, Joza, Joze, Joško, Joža, Jože, Bepo, Bepi, Bapi, Pino, Osíp, Bozo, Gonzo, Ganso *

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places *Czech, ...

: Josef; Diminutives: Pepa, Peppa, Pepík, Pepik, Jožka, Pepan, Pepča, Pepek, Pepino, Jožin *

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

: Josef *

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

: Jozef, Josephus; Diminutives: Joep, Joost, Jos, Jo, Jef, Seppe *

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: Joseph, Diminutives: Joe, Joey *

Esperanto Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...

: Jozefo *

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

: Joosep, Joosu * Faroese: Jósef * Fijian: Josefa *

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

: Joseph, José, Pepe, Peping, Sep, Jojo *

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

: Jooseppi, Juuso * French: José, Joseph, Jojo * Friulian: Josef, 'Sef, 'Sefin, 'Sefut, Bepi, Bepo, Beput * Galician: Xosé *

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

: იოსებ (''Ioseb''), სოსო ("''Soso''") *

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

: Josef, Joseph; Jupp (familiar); Sepp, Seppl or Pepi (familiar or diminutive forms, particularly in South Germany and Austria) *

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Ιωσήφ (''Iosif''), Ιώσηπος (''Iosipos''), Σήφης ("''Sifis''") (local in Crete) *

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

: જોસેફ (''Jōsēfa'') * Hawaiian (''Iokepa'') * (''Yosef''), יוסי ("''Yossi''", diminutive) * Hiligaynon: José, Josef, Josep (rare) *

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

: यूसुफ (''Yūsuf'') * Hungarian: József; Jóska, Józsi (diminutive) * Icelandic: Jósef, Jói *

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

: Yôsēp̄, Yossef, Josef *

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

: Yoseph, Yosep, Yusuf, Yosef, Yusup, Jusuf, Joesoef, Josef, Joseph *

Interlingua Interlingua (; ISO 639 language codes ia, ina) is an international auxiliary language (IAL) developed between 1937 and 1951 by the American International Auxiliary Language Association (IALA). It ranks among the most widely used IALs and is t ...

: Joseph *

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

: Giuseppe, Giù, Beppe, Peppe, Peppino, Pepino, Pino, Bepi, Beppo, Pippo, Puccio, Gioseffo, Gio or Giò *

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

: Seosamh, Iósaf *

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: ヨセフ (''Yosefu''), ジョセフ (''Josefu'') * Kambaata, Ethiopia: Yeseffe, Yese, Josse, Jossy *

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

: ಜೋಸೆಫ್ (''Jōseph'') *

Kazakh Kazakh, Qazaq or Kazakhstani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Kazakhstan *Kazakhs, an ethnic group *Kazakh language *The Kazakh Khanate * Kazakh cuisine * Qazakh Rayon, Azerbaijan *Qazax, Azerbaijan *Kazakh Uyezd, administrative dis ...

: Yusuf, Jusip * Khmer: យ៉ូសែប (''Yousaep'') * Korean: 요셉 (''Yosep''), 조셉 (''Joseb'') *

Kyrgyz Kyrgyz, Kirghiz or Kyrgyzstani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Kyrgyzstan *Kyrgyz people *Kyrgyz national games *Kyrgyz language *Kyrgyz culture *Kyrgyz cuisine *Yenisei Kirghiz *The Fuyü Gïrgïs language in Northeastern China ...

: Жусуп (''Jusup'') * Latin: Iōsēph, Iōsēphus * Latvian: Jāzeps, Jozefs, Josefs, Josifs, Džozefs, Žozefs, Jusufs, Jozis, Zeps, Seps *

Limburgish Limburgish ( li, Limburgs or ; nl, Limburgs ; german: Limburgisch ; french: Limbourgeois ), also called Limburgan, Limburgian, or Limburgic, is a West Germanic language spoken in the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg (Netherlands), L ...

: Joep, Sef *

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

: Juozapas, Juozas (shorter form), Juzas, Juzė (diminutive), Justas * Lombard: Giüsèpp, Pèpp, Pèpa, Pèppa, Bèpp *

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North M ...

: Јосиф (''J̌osif'') * Malayalam: ജോസപ്പ് (''Josapp'') or ജോസപ്പൻ (''Josappan''), ഔസേപ്പ് (''Ousepp''), യോസേപ്പ് (''Yosef''), ഔസേപച്ചന്‍ (''Ouseppachen''), കൊച്ചാപ്പു (''Kochaappu''), ഈപ്പൻ (''Eappan''), ഈപ്പച്ചൻ (''Eappachan''), ജോസഫ് (''Jēāsaph'') *

Malaysian Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regar ...

: Yusuf, Yusop, Yusoff, Jusoh, Eusoff, Usop * Manado Malay: Josef, Yosef, Oce' *

Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...

: Ġużeppi, Ġużi, Ġuż, Ġużè, Peppi, Peppu, Peppinu, Pepp, Peppa, Pepa, Żeppi, Żeppu, Żepp *

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

: , , 玉素甫 (''Yùsùfǔ''), ''Zho-Zi-Fu'' *

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

: योसेफ (''Jōsēfa'') * Māori: Hohepa * Mongolian: Иосеф (''Iosyef'') *

Nepali Nepali or Nepalese may refer to : Concerning Nepal * Anything of, from, or related to Nepal * Nepali people, citizens of Nepal * Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...

: यूसुफ (''Yūsupha'') * Norwegian: Josef * Occitan: Josèp *

: يوسف (''Youssef'', ''Yūsuf'', ''Yussef'') * Polish: Józef, Józek (diminutive), Józio (diminutive) *

: José, Josefo,In Portuguese, Flavius Josephus, the author of the Jewish Antiquities is known as Flávio Josefo. Diminutive forms: Zé, Zeca, Zezé *

Provençal Provençal may refer to: *Of Provence, a region of France * Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the southeast of France *''Provençal'', meaning the whole Occitan language *Franco-Provençal language, a distinct Roman ...

: Jóusè *

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

: 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 Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...

: Јосиф (''Josif''), Јосеф (''Josef''), Јозеф (''Jozef'') * Sepedi: Josefa * Sicilian: Giuseppi *

Silesian Silesian as an adjective can mean anything from or related to Silesia. As a noun, it refers to an article, item, or person of or from Silesia. Silesian may also refer to: People and languages * Silesians, inhabitants of Silesia, either a West S ...

: Zefel, Zeflik (diminutive) * Singapore: Joseph * Sinhala: ජුසේ (''Juse''), ජෝසේෆ් (''Jōsēf'') * Slovak: Jozef, Jožo, Dodo, Ďoďo, Dodô, Doido * Slovene: Jožef, Jože * Somali: Yuusuf, يوسف *

; hypocoristic versions: Pepe, Chepe, Che, Cheo, Chelo *

Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...

: Yusup, Yosep *

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language official in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa * Swahili culture Swahili culture is the culture of ...

: Yusuph, Yusufu, Yosefu *

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

: Josef * Sylheti: য়ুসুফ (''Yusuf'') * Syriac: ܝܘܣܦ (''Yosip, Yausef, Ossi'') *

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

: Jose, Pepe, Peping * Tamil: சூசை (''sūsai''), யோசேப்பு (''yōcēppu'') *

Tajik Tajik, Tadjik, Tadzhik or Tajikistani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Tajikistan * Tajiks, an ethnic group in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan * Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan * Tajik (surname) * Tajik cu ...

: Юсуф (''Yusuf'') *

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

: యోసేపు (''Yōsepu'') *

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

: โจเซฟ (''Co sef'', Josef) * Tongan: Siosefa *

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

: Yusuf *

Turkmen Turkmen, Türkmen, Turkoman, or Turkman may refer to: Peoples Historical ethnonym * Turkoman (ethnonym), ethnonym used for the Oghuz Turks during the Middle Ages Ethnic groups * Turkmen in Anatolia and the Levant (Seljuk and Ottoman-Turkish desc ...

: Yusup * Ukrainian: Йосип (''Josyp''), Осип (''Osyp'') * (''Yūsuf'') * Uzbek: Yusuf * Valencian: Josep *

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

: Juxepe, Bepi, Bepin, Bapi * Vietnamese: Giu-se or Giô-xếp or Yuse or Giô-sép * Vilamovian: Juza *

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

: Joseff *

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

: Yissl, Yussel, Jayzl *

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba consti ...

: Josefu, Yusufu * Shona: Joze, Joza * Zulu: uJosef

Female forms

: Jozefina, Zefina *

: Josepa, Pepa, Peppa (shortened) * Cornish: Josepa * Croatian: Josipa, Josica, Jozica *

: Josefina, Josefa, Jozeva *

: José, Josefien *

: Jo, Josephine, Joette, Posy, Posie * French: Joséphine * Friulian: Josefe, 'Sefe, Pine *

: Ιωσηφίνα (''Iosiphina'') * Hungarian: Jozefa, Jozefina, Józsa *

: Seosaimhín *

: Giuseppa, Giuseppina *

: Ġuża, Ġużeppa * Norwegian: Josefine, Josephine * Polish: Józefina *

: Josefa, Josefina, José (mainly in the compound Maria José), Zezé (nickname) * Romansh: Giuseppa, Giuseppina * Samoan: Iosefina * Sardinian: Josepa, Zosepa, Zosepedda * Slovak: Jozefína, Jozefa *

: Josefa, Josefina, Josefita *

: Josefin, Josefine, Josephine *

: Jayzl, Yissl

People

Biblical figures

* Joseph (patriarch), son of Jacob in the Hebrew Bible book of Genesis *

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...

, husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus *

, 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

Royalty

* Austria ** Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor ** Joseph II of Austria ** Franz Joseph I of Austria ** Archduke Joseph August of Austria ** Archduke Joseph Ferdinand 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 (1840–1904), Nez Perce tribal leader * John Joseph Abercrombie (1798–1877), career United States Army officer and brigadier general * Joseph Arthur Ankrah (1915–1992), 2nd president of Ghana from 1966–1969 * Jusuf Anwar (1941–2015), Indonesian politician and diplomat * Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden (born 1942), 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 (born 1944), State Senator from New Mexico * Joseph Caillaux, French politician and Minister of France *

Joseph Cook Sir Joseph Cook, (7 December 1860 – 30 July 1947) was an Australian politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1913 to 1914. He was the leader of the Liberal Party from 1913 to 1917, after earlier serving ...

(1860–1947), 6th Prime Minister of Australia * Joseph Dudley, British military commander and colonial administrator, notable during colonization of Americas * Joseph Estrada (born 1937), 13th president of the Philippines * Joseph Isaac Gnanamuttu (died 1944),

Sri Lankan Tamil Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Pr ...

politician *

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

(1897–1945), German politician and propaganda minister of Nazi Germany * Joseph Hemphill (1770-1842), U.S. Congressman * Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, French Canadian military officer * Joseph Kabila, Congolese politician who served as President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo * Joseph Kabui (1954–2008), first president of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville *

Jusuf Kalla Muhammad Jusuf Kalla (; born 15 May 1942) is an Indonesian politician and businessman who served as the 10th and 12th vice president of Indonesia, the only vice president in Indonesian history to serve two non-consecutive terms in office (2004� ...

(born 1942), 10th vice president of Indonesia (2004–2009); 12th vice president of Indonesia (2014–2019) * Joseph P. Kennedy (1888–1969), 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 *

Joseph Abu Khalil Joseph Abu Khalil (1925–2019) was a Lebanese politician from the Kataeb Party. He served in various posts in the party and edited its official newspaper, ''Al Amal'', for a long time. Biography Being a native of Beit ed-Dine, Mount Lebanon, Abu ...

(1925–2019), Lebanese politician and journalist * Joe Lieberman (born 1942), US Senator from Connecticut *

Joseph Lyons Joseph Aloysius Lyons (15 September 1879 – 7 April 1939) was an Australian politician who served as the List of prime ministers of Australia by time in office, 10th Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1932 until his death in 1939. He ...

(1879–1939), 10th Prime Minister of Australia * Joseph de Maistre (1753–1821), French diplomat *

Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...

(1908–1957), US Senator from Wisconsin * Joseph Henry Mensah (1928–2018), Ghanaian economist and politician * Joseph Bennet Odunton (1920–2004), Ghanaian civil servant * Joseph Michael Perera (born 1941), Sri Lankan politician * Joseph Yuvaraj Pillay (born 1934), Singaporean civil servant * Sir Joseph Planta (1787–1847), English politician * Joseph "Beppo" Schmid, Air force general in Nazi Germany * Joseph Hill Sinex (1819-1892), Pennsylvania State Representative * Joseph Howland (1834–1886), American general, politician, and philanthropist * Joseph Stalin (1878–1953), General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922–1953) * Joseph Vidal (1933–2020), French politician * Joseph Wapasha (c. 1816–1876), Mdewakanton Sioux chief

Arts and entertainment

* Joseph Albrier, French painter * Joe Alwyn, British actor *

Joseph Barbera Joseph Roland Barbera ( ; ; March 24, 1911 – December 18, 2006) was an American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist who co-founded the animation studio and production company Hanna-Barbera. Born to Italian im ...

, American cartoonist * Joseph Bertolozzi (born 1959), American composer * Joseph Beuys, German artist * Joseph Bitangcol, Filipino actor *

Joseph Brodsky Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (; russian: link=no, Иосиф Александрович Бродский ; 24 May 1940 – 28 January 1996) was a Russian and American poet and essayist. Born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), USSR in 1940, ...

, 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 Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and short story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in t ...

, Polish-British writer * Joseph Cotten, American actor * Joseph Dempsie, British actor * Joseph Dennie, American writer * Joe Dolan, Irish showband singer *

Joseph Garrett Joseph Mark Garrett (born 13 December 1990), better known as Stampylonghead or simply Stampy, is an English YouTuber, gamer, author, and filmmaker known for his video game commentaries including ''Minecraft'', and for playing the character of ...

(born 1990), known online as stampylonghead, British YouTube personality * Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor * Joe Hawley, American singer, songwriter, and musician * Joseph Hahn, American musician *

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

, Austrian composer * Joseph Heller, American author *

Michael Joseph Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

(1958–2009), American singer *

Joe Jonas Joseph Adam Jonas (born August 15, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He rose to fame as a member of the pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin Jonas, Kevin and Nick Jonas, Nick. The group released their ...

, lead vocals, the Jonas Brothers * Josef Jungmann, Czech poet and linguist *

Joseph Kaiser Joseph Kaiser (born October 14, 1977 in Montreal) is a Canadian operatic tenor and theatre actor, known for appearing in Kenneth Branagh's English-language film version of ''The Magic Flute.'' Career In 2005, Kaiser won second prize in Pláci ...

, Canadian opera singer * Joseph Koo, Hong Kong composer and arranger * Joseph L. Mankiewicz, American film director, producer and screenwriter * Joseph May, British-born Canadian-American actor * Joseph Mazzello, American actor * Joe McElderry, British singer and winner of ''The X Factor'' * Joseph Carey Merrick, the "Elephant Man" * Joseph Peter Moraes Fernando, also known as Premnath Moraes (1923–1998), Sri Lankan Tamil actor, film director and screenwriter * 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 Ranft, American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor * Joe Root, English cricketer * 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 * Joseph Simmons (guitarist), American guitarist * Joe Sugg, British YouTuber * Joseph Tetsuro Bizinger, known online as The Anime Man, Japanese Australian YouTuber, voice actor, songwriter, and podcaster * Joseph Vijay, Tamil actor *

Joss Whedon Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...

, American screenwriter, director and producer * Joseph Wiseman (1918–2009), Canadian actor

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 Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fi ...

, 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 Joe Kaminer (25 January 1934 – 3 August 2021) was a South African rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the ...

, South African rugby player *

Joe Katchik Joseph Katchik, Jr. (January 9, 1931 – February 9, 2014) was an American football defensive tackle who played one season with the New York Titans of the American Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams of the National Foot ...

, American football player *

Joe Keeble Joseph Bailey Keeble (August 29, 1909 – April 27, 1984) was an American football back who played one season with the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of California, Los Angeles. He firs ...

, American football player * Joe Kehoskie (born 1973), American baseball executive * 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, American Hall of Fame NFL quarterback *

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college foot ...

(born 1943), American 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 Joseph James Pavelski (born July 11, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the San Jose Sharks for the first thirteen years of ...

(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 (born 1995), 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 Prince, a pastor and IT consultant * Joseph Ratzinger, given name of Pope Benedict XVI * Joseph Sarvananthan,

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 Joseph Fielding Smith Sr. (November 13, 1838 – November 19, 1918) was an American religious leader who served as the sixth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was the nephew of Joseph Smith, the founde ...

, 6th

president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The President of the Church is the highest office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was the office held by Joseph Smith, the church's founder. The church's president is its leader and the head of the First Pres ...

* Joseph Fielding Smith, 10th

Joseph of Vatopedi Elder Joseph of Vatopedi (or Joseph of Vatopaidi, el, Ιωσήφ ο Βατοπαιδινός, also known as Joseph the Younger; Paphos District, Cyprus, 1 July 1921 – Vatopedi, Mount Athos, 1 July 2009) was a Greek Cypriot Orthodox Christian ...

(1921–2009), Greek Cypriot Orthodox monk * 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

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 de Maistre (1753–1821), French philosopher * Joseph Mercado, Filipino statistician * Joseph S. Murphy (1933–1998), American political scientist and university administrator * Joseph Planta (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 (1813–1906), inventor of barbed wire * Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (1765–1833), first person to create a permanent photograph

Crime

* Joseph D. "Joe" Ball (1896–1938), American murderer and suspected serial killer *

Joseph Christopher Joseph Gerard Christopher (July 26, 1955 – March 1, 1993) was an American serial killer who gained infamy for a series of murders in the early 1980s. He is believed to have killed at least twelve African American men and boys and wounded numerou ...

(1955–1993), American serial killer * Joseph James DeAngelo (born 1945), American serial killer and rapist and former cop * Joseph Edward Duncan (1963–2021), 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 , allegiance = , branch = Schutzstaffel , serviceyears = 1938–1945 , rank = '' SS''-''Hauptsturmführer'' (Captain) , servicenumber = , battles = , unit = , awards = , commands = , s ...

(1911–1979), Nazi scientist * Joseph Scott Pemberton, a US Marine lance corporal convicted of the homicide of Jennifer Laude, a Filipino trans woman * Joseph Rosenzweig, (born c.1891), American New York City labor racketeer * Joseph Skowron (born c.1969), American portfolio manager convicted of insider trading

Other

* Joseph Fenton, informer killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army * Joseph Fitzgerald (disambiguation), multiple people * Joseph Hedley, English quilter and murder victim * Joseph B. MacInnis (born 1937), Canadian physician, underwater diver and author * Joseph Oliver (disambiguation), multiple people *

Joseph Safra Joseph Safra ( ar, يوسف صفرا‎; 1 September 1938 – 10 December 2020) was a Swiss-based Lebanese Brazilian banker and billionaire businessman, who ran the Brazilian banking and investment empire, Safra Group. Joseph Safra was the ch ...

(1938–2020), Brazilian banker * Joseph Thornton (1808–1891), English bookseller based in Oxford * Joseph Wilf (1925–2016), Polish-born American businessman

Fictional characters

* Joseph Desaulniers, a hunter in the video game ''

Identity V ''Identity V'' is a free-to-play asymmetrical multiplayer survival horror game developed and published by Chinese company NetEase. It was released in July 2018 for mobile devices. It is available on the iOS App Store, Android Google Play Stor ...

'' * Joseph Goldberg, main character in the Netflix series '' You'' * 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, a recurring character in the ''Far Cry'' video game franchise * Joseph Wilford, the main antagonist in the Netflix series '' Snowpiercer''

References

{{given name English-language masculine given names English masculine given names German masculine given names Hebrew masculine given names Modern names of Hebrew origin