| Joseph | Daniel | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God shall add | God is my judge |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JOH-zef | DAN-yul |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1956 (32,749) | 1985 (38,559) |
| In 2025 | 7,303 | 8,085 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Joseph | Daniel |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 46,334 | 52,726 |
| 2010s | 115,722 | 133,952 |
| 2000s | 194,962 | 203,975 |
| 1990s | 260,751 | 272,360 |
| 1980s | 299,411 | 345,537 |
| 1970s | 244,825 | 244,454 |
| 1960s | 283,048 | 242,020 |
| 1950s | 300,012 | 243,727 |
| 1940s | 230,285 | 112,778 |
| 1930s | 180,566 | 47,998 |
| 1920s | 243,809 | 43,407 |
| 1910s | 179,300 | 23,978 |
| 1900s | 35,173 | 5,036 |
| 1890s | 29,000 | 5,185 |
| 1880s | 26,292 | 5,679 |
Joseph comes from the Hebrew Yosef, “he will add” or “God will increase.” It is borne by Joseph of the coat of many colours and by St Joseph, husband of Mary.
Daniel is Hebrew for “God is my judge.” In the Bible, the prophet Daniel famously survived a night in the lions’ den.
Daniel is more popular than Joseph today: about 8,085 US babies were given the name Daniel in 2025, compared with 7,303 named Joseph.
Joseph means God shall add (Hebrew origin), while Daniel means God is my judge (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Joseph first appears in 1880 and Daniel in 1880, so Joseph has the longer recorded history.