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Josef as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Josef

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The baby name Josef is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced YO-sef (IPA: /ˈjoʊsɛf/; German/Czech: /ˈjoːzɛf/; Hebrew: /joˈsef/).

Josef is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: YO-sef (IPA: /ˈjoʊsɛf/; German/Czech: /ˈjoːzɛf/; Hebrew: /joˈsef/)

What is the meaning of the name Josef ?

The baby name Josef is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced YO-sef (IPA: /ˈjoʊsɛf/; German/Czech: /ˈjoːzɛf/; Hebrew: /joˈsef/).

Josef is Hebrew in Origin.

Josef is the Central and Northern European form of Joseph, from Hebrew Yosef, based on the verb yasaf “to add,” interpreted as “(God) will add/increase.” It entered Christian naming through the patriarch Joseph in Genesis and Saint Joseph, spouse of Mary. German once favored the older spelling Joseph, but 20th‑century orthography established Josef; it is also standard in Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish.

Use spread in the late Middle Ages and surged after the Counter‑Reformation, remaining common across the Habsburg lands and Slavic regions; St. Joseph’s feast days (19 March; 1 May) reinforced its popularity. Notable bearers include the Czech writer Josef Škvorecký and German artist Josef Albers. Variants include Joseph, Yosef, José, Giuseppe, Józef, Jozef, Jožef, Josip, Iosif, and Yusuf/Yousef; feminine forms are Josefa, Josefina, and Josephine. Nicknames range by language: Joe, Jos, Josi, Sepp/Seppl, Jupp, Pepa/Pepík, and Jože.

Josef has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Josef

Josef Bican Athlete · Born 1913 · Austria Josef Bican was an Austrian athlete best known for his incredible goal-scoring ability in football. He played for clubs like Rapid Vienna and Slavia Prague, and he is often remembered as one of the most prolific goal scorers in the history of the sport. Josef Silný Athlete · Born 1902 · Czechoslovakia Josef Silný was a prominent Czechoslovak footballer, known for his impressive goal-scoring ability. He played as a forward and was a key player for clubs like Slavia Prague and Sparta Prague. Silný also represented the Czechoslovak national team, contributing significantly to their success in the early 20th century. Josef Hader Actor · Born 1962 · Austria Josef Hader is best known as an Austrian stand-up comedian and actor. Born on 14 February 1962, he is also a filmmaker, known for works like Komm, süßer Tod, Silentium, and Wilde Maus.
Josef Fares Actor · Born 1977 · Sweden Josef Fares is best known as a Swedish film director and video game designer. He directed films like Jalla! Jalla! and Kopps, and later became widely known for games such as It Takes Two and A Way Out. His brother is actor Fares Fares, who has appeared in several of his films and games. Josef Somr Actor · Born 1934 · Czech Republic Josef Somr was a Czech actor best known for his role in the film 'Closely Watched Trains', which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1968. He also starred in 'The Joke' and 'Larks on a String', both of which are significant works in Czech cinema. Josef Sommer Actor · Born 1934 · United States Josef Sommer is an American actor best known for his roles in films like 'Witness' and 'The Mighty Ducks'. Born in 1934, he has appeared in numerous movies and television shows throughout his career.

Celebrity babies named Josef

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Josef von Stroheim Erich von Stroheim film director ★★★★★

Josef – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Germany Boys 2025 #1 — 423
Ireland Boys 2013 #1 — 745
CZ Boys 0 #11 10,092 6,530
Austria Boys 0 #16 6,173 2,180
NA 0 #24 10 2,537
ET Boys 0 #27 1 678
IR Boys 0 #27 10,770 10,162
NA Boys 0 #27 425 6,830
MT 0 #29 15 1,767
IR 0 #34 548 4,221
DJ Boys 0 #35 2 657
CZ 0 #36 494 3,154
TM Boys 0 #36 1 614
Austria Boys 2024 #47 174 60
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
MT Boys 0 #52 179 4,064
Austria 0 #54 262 850
IN 0 #71 1 2,963
MV Boys 0 #78 2 3,375
SI 0 #79 2 1,612
Sweden Boys 2022 #89 104 1,509
SD 0 #101 2 2,130
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
PH 0 #108 3 5,607
GE Boys 0 #109 2 2,055
Germany Boys 0 #113 5,378 5,697
HU 0 #114 2 1,675
Norway Boys 2025 #117 18 444
KW 0 #119 3 5,216
EC 0 #120 2 2,502
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
ID Boys 0 #127 9 4,130
CY Boys 0 #128 4 3,473
Switzerland Boys 2024 #131 7 1,769
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
HU Boys 0 #146 29 3,954
LT Boys 0 #150 2 2,166
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
CR 0 #164 2 5,526
AE 0 #181 7 10,220
DK 0 #199 8 5,198
PS 0 #203 16 5,692
SI Boys 0 #205 7 3,402
NA Girls 0 #209 16 7,146
AO Girls 0 #216 2 4,575
LU Boys 0 #216 5 4,970
BG Boys 0 #219 2 3,850
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
Germany 0 #235 233 2,542
DK Boys 0 #239 87 7,401
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
AO Boys 0 #241 9 5,568
EC Boys 0 #244 3 3,322
IL 0 #244 31 6,291
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
HR Boys 0 #246 13 3,997
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
GR Boys 0 #251 17 6,912
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
NG 0 #270 3 5,926
SG 0 #279 4 11,010
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
CZ Girls 0 #294 48 5,378
Canada Boys 2024 #299 8 2,588
JP Boys 0 #301 3 7,909
AL Boys 0 #302 2 5,122
PL Boys 0 #303 33 6,459
SA 0 #304 9 10,560
PE 0 #325 5 6,350
CN Boys 0 #329 3 9,639
DK Girls 0 #329 1 7,429
GH Boys 0 #331 15 8,138
PH Boys 0 #333 51 11,440
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
JO Boys 0 #340 38 7,057
QA Girls 0 #343 1 15,378
IL Boys 0 #347 296 10,983
MY 0 #353 2 12,352
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
PT Boys 0 #357 11 7,951
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
YE 0 #369 13 8,639
France Boys 2021 #373 15 2,865
PS Boys 0 #383 170 10,655
EG 0 #386 15 6,387
Austria Girls 0 #396 25 1,885
TN 0 #404 612 13,765
BO 0 #407 2 6,868
Finland Boys 0 #407 21 2,041
UY Boys 0 #411 3 5,922
SD Boys 0 #416 30 10,523
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
ZA 0 #430 18 14,421
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
MX 0 #441 5 8,339
CR Boys 0 #451 37 10,188
GT Boys 0 #458 17 7,625
PA Boys 0 #463 19 9,305
IR Girls 0 #473 58 8,334
AR Boys 0 #481 3 7,628
RU Boys 0 #486 20 12,621
LY 0 #497 39 12,703
EG Boys 0 #504 466 15,035
CO 0 #507 4 7,768
HK Boys 0 #508 20 12,905
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
Finland Boys 2026 #521 173 3,552
IT Boys 0 #521 1,667 10,046
IQ Girls 0 #522 4 11,303
RU Girls 0 #522 2 11,913
CM Boys 0 #537 14 12,054
GT Girls 0 #538 4 7,500
PS Girls 0 #545 3 10,981
MA 0 #546 821 20,986
BD Boys 0 #552 25 10,045
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
LB 0 #562 97 13,263
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
DZ 0 #572 800 20,130
BO Boys 0 #576 17 9,244
BH 0 #582 6 17,937
IQ Boys 0 #597 71 13,071
SY 0 #616 113 11,684
CL Boys 0 #617 49 13,390
AR Girls 0 #629 2 8,289
SG Girls 0 #632 1 18,916
IL Girls 0 #640 6 11,648
IT 0 #644 71 4,183
BO Girls 0 #645 7 9,488
IN Girls 0 #651 4 13,121
SG Boys 0 #662 36 17,960
QA Boys 0 #676 32 18,093
BR Boys 0 #715 37 12,213
KW Boys 0 #729 41 18,755
PE Boys 0 #769 110 14,506
Spain Boys 0 #797 134 5,610
Germany Girls 0 #805 34 4,949
NG Girls 0 #824 3 15,093
NL Boys 0 #830 122 5,873
United States Boys 2024 #831 62 7,044
ZA Boys 0 #849 347 25,619
CO Boys 0 #851 70 15,656
NG Boys 0 #863 89 16,906
OM Boys 0 #864 18 17,948
MX Boys 0 #867 116 16,355
CL Girls 0 #912 4 14,098
EG Girls 0 #923 37 14,742
Spain Girls 0 #971 13 5,561
IN Boys 0 #980 22 16,750
BR Girls 0 #986 7 12,708
PE Girls 0 #1,002 9 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,011 4 25,931
AE Boys 0 #1,054 39 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,079 33 25,439
TR 0 #1,100 112 19,440
ZA Girls 0 #1,131 11 25,928
MX Girls 0 #1,139 45 17,781
CO Girls 0 #1,144 9 16,140
IT Girls 0 #1,436 11 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,442 173 28,008

Josef is popular in 87 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
France
Canada
Switzerland
Sweden

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Josef

Josef is predominantly a boy's name.
Josef is a 2 syllable name, pronounced YO-sef (IPA: /ˈjoʊsɛf/; German/Czech: /ˈjoːzɛf/; Hebrew: /joˈsef/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Joseph, Yosef, Yossef, Jozef, Józef and Iosif.
Across languages, Josef has these equivalents: Joseph (English), José (Spanish), Giuseppe (Italian), Yusuf / يوسف (Arabic), Iosif / Иосиф (Russian), and 4 more.
Yes, very popular — Josef ranked #1 in Germany in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 11 countries.
Josef ranks highest in Germany (#1 in 2025).
Josef's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #115 in 2015 to #117 in 2025 in Norway.
Yes — 9 notable people named Josef are in our database, including Josef Bican (Athlete), Josef Silný (Athlete), Josef Hader (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Josef for their child, including Erich von Stroheim.