Joseph

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ORIGIN AND HISTORY

Hebrew, Yowceph^[1], from Jo- + yacaph, to add or augment.

The name Joseph originally stems from the Hebrew “Yosef” meaning “he shall add” or “may God add.” It was passed on to the Greeks who used the name in the form “Ioseph.” The Latins used the name in the form “Joseph.” Gaelic forms of Joseph are “Iosep,” “Ioseph” and “Seosamh.”

In the Old Testament of the Bible, Joseph is a son of Jacob and Rachel, who was sold into slavery by his brothers. In the New Testament of the Bible, Joseph is the name of the Virgin Mary’s husband, who is the foster father of Jesus. Additionally, Joseph of Arimathea was a secret follower of Jesus who helped steal his body from the cross. He is also known for taking the holy grail to England.

POPULARITY

According to the 1990 United States Census, Joseph ranked as the 9th most popular male first name, the 1,362nd most popular female first name and the 384th most popular last name. In the United States, the name ranked in the Top 1,000 most popular boy's names every decade since 1880 and in the Top 1,000 most popular girl's names nine decades since 1880, but not since 1990. In the 21st century, the name ranked in the Top 20 most popular boy's names every year from 2000 (8th) through 2006 (11th).

United States Popularity of the boy's name Joseph in the 21st Century:

• Year: 2006 Rank:11th
• Year: 2005 Rank:10th
• Year: 2004 Rank:9th
• Year: 2003 Rank:6th
• Year: 2002 Rank:6th
• Year: 2001 Rank:8th
• Year: 2000 Rank:8th

In 2007, the popularity of the boy’s name Joseph ranked 42nd in Australia, 13th in England/Wales, 21st in Wales and 30th in New Zealand.

FACTS

• January 1st is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Mary Tommasi.
• February 4th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph of Leonissa.
• February 15th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph of Antioch.
• March 12th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of Bl. Joseph Tshang-ta-Pong.
• March 17th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph of Arimathea.
• March 19th is celebrated in Germany and France in honor of the name Joseph.
• March 23rd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Oriol.
• April 22nd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph of Persia.
• April 30th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Cottolengo.
• May 2nd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Luu.
• June 3rd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Mukasa.
• June 14th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph the Hymnographer.
• June 23rd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Cafasso.
• June 24th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of Bl. Joseph Yuen.
• June 27th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Hien.
• July 3rd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Peter Uyen.
• July 20th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph of Barsabas.
• July 22nd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph of Palestine.
• July 24th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of Bl. Joseph Fernandez.
• July 29th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of Bl. Joseph Tshang
• August 21st is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Nien Vien.
• August 25th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Calasanctius.
• September 5th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Canh.
• September 9th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph of Volokolamsk.
• September 10th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Hyacinth.
• September 15th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Abibos.
• September 18th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph of Cupertino.
• October 23rd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of Bl. Joseph Leroux.
• October 24th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Thi.
• November 6th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Khang
• November 8th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Nghi.
• November 11th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Pignatelli.
• November 16th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Moscati.
• November 30th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. Joseph Marchand.
• December 26th is celebrated in the Ukraine in honor of the name Joseph.

NAMESAKES

• “Joseph Cornell” is a song by the music group “The Clientele.”
• “Joe Harper Saturday Morning” is a song by Van Morrison.
• “Run Joey Run” is a song by David Geddes.
• “Hey Joe” is a song by legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
• "G.I. Joe" a generic name for an American soldier and first "action figure," introduced by Hasbro in 1964.

FAMOUS PERSONS

• Joseph Stalin – General Secretary of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party from 1922 to 1953.
• Joseph McCarthy – U.S. Senator whose extreme anti-communism led to the phrase “McCarthyism.”
• Joseph Heller – Author who is most notably known for his novel “Catch-22.”
• Joseph Brodsky - Nobel Prize winner for Literature in 1987.

OTHER JOSEPH'S

Joseph Cheng, Joseph Hagerty, Joseph A-bailey, Joseph A-minor, Joseph Aakre, Joseph Aalberg, Joseph Aalborg, Joseph Aalbregtse, Joseph Aalders, Joseph Aalsma, Joseph Aalto, Joseph Aamodt, Joseph Aamot, Joseph Aanas, Joseph Aanderud, Joseph Aanes, Joseph Aardema, Joseph Aardvark, Joseph Aaron, Joseph Aarons, Joseph Aaronson, Joseph Aarsen, Joseph Aarsvold, Joseph Aasen, Joseph Ab, Joseph Aba, Joseph Ababurko, Joseph Abad, Joseph Abadia, Joseph Abadie, Joseph Abadilla, Joseph Abadines, Joseph Abadiotakis, Joseph Abadjian, Joseph Abaecherli, Joseph Abagis, Joseph Abaid, Joseph Abair, Joseph Abajay, Joseph Abal, Joseph Abalihi, Joseph Aballo, Joseph Abarca, Joseph Abare, Joseph Abate, Joseph Abaya, Joseph Abbadessa, Joseph Abbasi, Joseph Abbate, Joseph Abbatemarco, More results

Author: Rich Kachold

NOTES