Boy
Joseph
Joseph means "He shall add" and comes from Hebrew, giving it real etymological depth as a boy's name. It has cooled since its 1980s peak, though it is still chosen today. As things stand now, it is a household name. Common variant spellings include Josef.
HebrewHe shall add
Egyptian/HebrewGod will increase, God will add
Also spelled: Josef
Births by decade
1900s
35,346
1910s
179,929
1920s
245,186
1930s
181,422
1940s
230,907
1950s
300,665
1960s
284,326
1970s
246,436
1980s
301,411
1990s
261,304
2000s
195,035
2010s
96,525
Peaked in the 1980s · 2,558,492 total U.S. births since 1900