| Zachary | Joseph | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The Lord has remembered | God shall add |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ZAK-uh-ree | JOH-zef |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1900 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1993 (25,538) | 1956 (32,749) |
| In 2025 | 1,646 | 7,303 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Zachary | Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 13,208 | 46,334 |
| 2010s | 51,146 | 115,722 |
| 2000s | 134,756 | 194,962 |
| 1990s | 225,290 | 260,751 |
| 1980s | 101,818 | 299,411 |
| 1970s | 19,060 | 244,825 |
| 1960s | 3,476 | 283,048 |
| 1950s | 2,169 | 300,012 |
| 1940s | 404 | 230,285 |
| 1930s | 142 | 180,566 |
| 1920s | 168 | 243,809 |
| 1910s | 109 | 179,300 |
| 1900s | 6 | 35,173 |
| 1890s | 0 | 29,000 |
| 1880s | 0 | 26,292 |
Zachary is an English form of Zechariah, Hebrew for “Yahweh remembers.” It was borne by Zachary Taylor, the twelfth US president.
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.
Joseph is more popular than Zachary today: about 7,303 US babies were given the name Joseph in 2025, compared with 1,646 named Zachary.
Zachary means The Lord has remembered (Hebrew origin), while Joseph means God shall add (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Zachary first appears in 1900 and Joseph in 1880, so Joseph has the longer recorded history.