| Joseph | Matthew | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God shall add | gift of Yahweh |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JOH-zef | MATH-yoo |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1956 (32,749) | 1983 (50,209) |
| In 2025 | 7,303 | 7,003 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Joseph | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 46,334 | 44,052 |
| 2010s | 115,722 | 125,101 |
| 2000s | 194,962 | 221,631 |
| 1990s | 260,751 | 351,682 |
| 1980s | 299,411 | 458,951 |
| 1970s | 244,825 | 277,727 |
| 1960s | 283,048 | 105,938 |
| 1950s | 300,012 | 35,796 |
| 1940s | 230,285 | 8,760 |
| 1930s | 180,566 | 6,255 |
| 1920s | 243,809 | 8,566 |
| 1910s | 179,300 | 6,228 |
| 1900s | 35,173 | 1,188 |
| 1890s | 29,000 | 1,132 |
| 1880s | 26,292 | 1,068 |
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.
English form of the Hebrew name Mattityahu (Mattathias), from mattath 'gift' + yah, a short form of the divine name Yahweh. The structure is 'gift of God': 'gift' + the name of God.
Joseph is more popular than Matthew today: about 7,303 US babies were given the name Joseph in 2025, compared with 7,003 named Matthew.
Joseph means God shall add (Hebrew origin), while Matthew means gift of Yahweh (hebrew origin).
In US records, Joseph first appears in 1880 and Matthew in 1880, so Joseph has the longer recorded history.