Boys' name · peaked in 1914
Joseph name popularity since 1925
2,280,322 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Joseph. Half of them were born in 1970 or earlier, so the typical Joseph is about 56 years old in 2026. Joseph peaked in 1914 as the #5 name for boys, and it ranked #29 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 2,280,322
- Named Joseph, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1914
- #5 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #29
- for boys in 2025 (7,303 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 9,047 girls · 2,271,275 boys
- Most popular in
- Rhode Island
- 2.08× its national share
Peak year is the year Joseph made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Joseph births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year on this chart was 1956. Measured as a share of all babies, Joseph peaked earlier, in 1914.
Decade by decade
Babies named Joseph in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 801 | 115,359 | – |
| 1930s | 886 | 180,566 | #10 |
| 1940s | 668 | 230,285 | #14 |
| 1950s | 753 | 300,012 | #13 |
| 1960s | 1,223 | 283,048 | #11 |
| 1970s | 1,511 | 244,825 | #12 |
| 1980s | 1,994 | 299,411 | #10 |
| 1990s | 637 | 260,751 | #12 |
| 2000s | 363 | 194,962 | #9 |
| 2010s | 156 | 115,722 | #21 |
| 2020–25 | 55 | 46,334 | #29 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
24.4% of babies named Joseph from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Baby Boom years (1946–1964). The full split by generation:
Where Joseph is most popular
The index compares Joseph's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Joseph.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 2.08× | 16,942 |
| New Jersey | 1.90× | 120,318 |
| Pennsylvania | 1.77× | 207,155 |
| New York | 1.70× | 297,752 |
| Connecticut | 1.66× | 41,344 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Joseph's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Joseph.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Joseph (1914).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data