At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- Not in the 2025 data · last seen 1989 (#6,229)
- Babies in 1989
- 7 (<0.01% of boys)
- Peak
- #2,093 in 1957
- First recorded
- 1916
Meaning of Josph
The male given name Josph, which traces its etymology to the Hebrew Yosef—literally “Jehovah has added”—manifests an idiosyncratic orthographic variant of the more ubiquitous Joseph, thereby preserving its original theophoric significance while presenting a streamlined written form. Within Anglo-American naming conventions, Josph occupies an infrequent yet discernible position, its historical resonance anchored by the archetypal figure of Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob in the Hebrew Bible and the putative guardian of Jesus in the New Testament, whose enduring narrative has shaped Judeo-Christian onomastic traditions. Empirical data from United States Social Security records throughout the mid- and late-twentieth century corroborate the name’s episodic adoption—its modest occurrence rates reflecting a deliberate parental preference for appellations that fuse venerable heritage with distinctive orthography. Phonetically rendered as /dʒoʏsɛf/, Josph conforms to established English articulatory norms, ensuring that its pronunciation remains congruent with that of its conventional counterpart even as its spelling underscores individual identity. Consequently, the name Josph exemplifies a technically precise yet creatively adapted variant that bridges ancient etymology and contemporary nominative innovation.
How to pronounce Josph
English
- Pronounced JOH-sef /dʒoʏsɛf/
Popularity of Josph in the U.S.
Josph was last recorded in the U.S. in 1989, ranked #6,229 with 7 babies. It peaked at #2,093 in 1957. It first appears in the records in 1916.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1916–1989 47 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 7 | 6,229 | ▼ 1,443 |
| 1988 | 9 | 4,786 | ▲ 1,303 |
| 1987 | 6 | 6,089 | ▼ 163 |
| 1986 | 6 | 5,926 | ▼ 141 |
| 1985 | 6 | 5,785 | ▼ 224 |
| 1984 | 6 | 5,561 | ▼ 77 |
| 1983 | 6 | 5,484 | back (not recorded in 1981–1982) |
| 1980 | 12 | 3,430 | ▲ 1,925 |
| 1979 | 6 | 5,355 | back (not recorded in 1978) |
| 1977 | 5 | 5,845 | ▼ 910 |
| 1976 | 6 | 4,935 | back (not recorded in 1973–1975) |
| 1972 | 5 | 4,986 | ▼ 1,616 |
| 1971 | 9 | 3,370 | ▲ 860 |
| 1970 | 6 | 4,230 | ▲ 174 |
| 1969 | 5 | 4,404 | back (not recorded in 1968) |
| 1967 | 5 | 3,966 | ▼ 717 |
| 1966 | 7 | 3,249 | ▼ 5 |
| 1965 | 7 | 3,244 | ▲ 38 |
| 1964 | 7 | 3,282 | ▲ 364 |
| 1963 | 6 | 3,646 | ▼ 973 |
| 1962 | 10 | 2,673 | back (not recorded in 1961) |
| 1960 | 6 | 3,665 | ▲ 323 |
| 1959 | 5 | 3,988 | ▼ 1,482 |
| 1958 | 11 | 2,506 | ▼ 413 |
| 1957 | 15 | 2,093 | ▲ 1,123 |
| 1956 | 7 | 3,216 | ▼ 997 |
| 1955 | 13 | 2,219 | ▼ 12 |
| 1954 | 13 | 2,207 | ▲ 502 |
| 1953 | 9 | 2,709 | ▲ 386 |
| 1952 | 7 | 3,095 | ▼ 433 |
| 1951 | 9 | 2,662 | ▼ 341 |
| 1950 | 11 | 2,321 | ▲ 977 |
| 1949 | 6 | 3,298 | ▲ 370 |
| 1948 | 5 | 3,668 | back (not recorded in 1947) |
| 1946 | 7 | 2,919 | back (not recorded in 1944–1945) |
| 1943 | 5 | 3,538 | ▼ 326 |
| 1942 | 6 | 3,212 | ▲ 293 |
| 1941 | 5 | 3,505 | back (not recorded in 1933–1940) |
| 1932 | 5 | 3,776 | back (not recorded in 1929–1931) |
| 1928 | 5 | 4,151 | ▼ 700 |
| 1927 | 7 | 3,451 | ▼ 885 |
| 1926 | 11 | 2,566 | back (not recorded in 1925) |
| 1924 | 6 | 3,867 | ▼ 692 |
| 1923 | 8 | 3,175 | back (not recorded in 1921–1922) |
| 1920 | 7 | 3,489 | back (not recorded in 1918–1919) |
| 1917 | 7 | 3,217 | ▲ 680 |
| 1916 | 5 | 3,897 | new |