| Joseph | Jonathan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God shall add | Yahweh has given |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JOH-zef | JON-ə-thən |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1956 (32,749) | 1988 (24,349) |
| In 2025 | 7,303 | 3,822 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Joseph | Jonathan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 46,334 | 25,386 |
| 2010s | 115,722 | 79,888 |
| 2000s | 194,962 | 144,848 |
| 1990s | 260,751 | 197,503 |
| 1980s | 299,411 | 229,953 |
| 1970s | 244,825 | 107,926 |
| 1960s | 283,048 | 47,389 |
| 1950s | 300,012 | 25,816 |
| 1940s | 230,285 | 8,296 |
| 1930s | 180,566 | 1,663 |
| 1920s | 243,809 | 1,078 |
| 1910s | 179,300 | 660 |
| 1900s | 35,173 | 139 |
| 1890s | 29,000 | 129 |
| 1880s | 26,292 | 192 |
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.
From Hebrew Yehonatan, combining yeho (a form of Yahweh) + natan 'to give' — 'Yahweh has given'. A 'gift of God' name framed as God's act of giving.
Joseph is more popular than Jonathan today: about 7,303 US babies were given the name Joseph in 2025, compared with 3,822 named Jonathan.
Joseph means God shall add (Hebrew origin), while Jonathan means Yahweh has given (hebrew origin).
In US records, Joseph first appears in 1880 and Jonathan in 1880, so Joseph has the longer recorded history.