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Joseph Name Popularity

    

Charts | Table | About | By Year

How popular is Joseph?

In 2018 the very popular name Joseph, ranked the 23rd Most Popular Boys Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 50 most popular, Joseph has been a top 50 placer since the Social Security Administration began keeping records in 1880.

Its highest popularity RANKING of #5 was reached for the first time in 1912 and as recently as 1917.

However, the name was bestowed upon the greatest number of babies in 1956 with 32,732 occurrences.

In any year, the least number of babies named Joseph was 2,456 in 1887.

Decidely upward trends in the number of babies given the name Joseph occurred roughly during the years 1889-1892, 1897-1900, 1903-1918, 1943-1947, 1948-1954, and 1975-1980, whereas unequivocal downward movement occurred about 1927-1933, 1963-1967, 1969-1973, 1991-1997, and 1998-2017.

For a number of years, the name Joseph has steadily decreased in popularity. Of late, continuing the trend, the number of parents selecting the name Joseph for their newborn has dropped.

What does the future hold for the popularity of Joseph?

Overall, when compared to its most prominent year, the name's popularity is at a low point.

The name Joseph is favored by many parents but will probably continue to drift downward in popularity.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

 
Mouse over or Click for Percentages.
   Joseph (Girl)Joseph (Boy)
Year %No. of Babies Given NamePopul. RankNo. of Babies Given NamePopul. Rank
2018 15 7,491 9,555 23
2017 19 6,379 10,437 19
2016 13 8,590 10,918 20
2015 11 9,755 11,487 21
2014 6 15,474 12,118 20
2013 20 6,342 12,248 20
2012 16 7,611 12,565 19
2011 23 5,823 12,967 22
2010 16 7,687 13,830 20
2009 20 6,671 14,920 15
2008 30 4,947 16,575 13
2007 28 5,161 17,338 13
2006 29 4,874 18,445 11
2005 36 3,990 19,217 9
2004 103 1,843 20,125 9
2003 31 4,254 21,367 6
2002 35 3,760 21,895 7
2001 27 4,499 22,011 8
2000 24 4,869 22,831 8
1999 44 3,020 23,213 8
1998 50 2,709 23,181 11
1997 45 2,749 23,595 12
1996 52 2,463 24,754 12
1995 62 2,166 25,345 12
1994 77 1,845 25,730 11
1993 67 2,054 27,008 12
1992 68 2,017 27,898 11
1991 88 1,684 29,834 9
1990 84 1,746 30,128 10
1989 139 1,180 29,872 11
1988 182 931 29,005 12
1987 217 808 28,513 12
1986 208 807 28,835 12
1985 227 755 30,212 10
1984 211 765 30,515 10
1983 211 763 30,460 11
1982 196 812 31,050 11
1981 186 841 30,773 11
1980 217 763 30,203 10
1979 209 769 28,669 11
1978 180 828 26,671 10
1977 176 845 26,493 10
1976 142 920 24,073 12
1975 132 955 22,139 12
1974 124 987 21,838 12
1973 134 922 21,331 12
1972 128 954 22,467 12
1971 148 897 24,523 15
1970 138 931 26,736 16
1969 154 834 26,192 15
1968 134 891 25,403 16
1967 122 931 25,939 15
1966 100 1,045 26,990 15
1965 120 926 28,659 11
1964 118 977 30,550 11
1963 137 897 30,098 13
1962 105 1,055 30,084 13
1961 112 1,032 29,448 12
1960 120 979 29,746 12
1959 92 1,116 29,519 13
1958 81 1,184 30,101 12
1957 94 1,076 31,794 12
1956 84 1,129 32,732 12
1955 86 1,092 31,593 13
1954 76 1,137 31,211 13
1953 59 1,267 29,272 13
1952 68 1,149 28,518 12
1951 53 1,280 28,155 14
1950 64 1,157 27,023 13
1949 56 1,213 26,403 14
1948 69 1,063 26,805 13
1947 68 1,080 27,514 14
1946 61 1,094 24,280 14
1945 58 1,019 20,815 14
1944 81 848 21,173 13
1943 66 981 22,824 13
1942 79 867 22,421 11
1941 66 908 19,803 12
1940 64 897 18,207 12
1939 60 910 17,716 12
1938 75 816 17,735 12
1937 61 886 17,319 12
1936 70 808 17,453 11
1935 76 776 17,183 10
1934 87 715 17,101 10
1933 100 658 17,162 9
1932 104 660 18,563 9
1931 112 626 19,330 9
1930 141 576 20,981 9
1929 159 540 21,162 9
1928 182 513 22,311 9
1927 167 548 23,506 9
1926 161 564 23,759 8
1925 132 637 24,613 7
1924 135 646 25,428 7
1923 106 709 25,561 7
1922 104 716 25,699 7
1921 120 677 26,179 7
1920 112 688 25,591 7
1919 89 749 24,264 7
1918 90 752 26,263 7
1917 94 718 24,762 5
1916 77 783 23,883 5
1915 69 793 23,052 5
1914 69 696 18,829 5
1913 38 860 14,471 5
1912 44 760 12,062 5
1911 28 820 6,488 6
1910 29 802 5,228 6
1909 30 737 4,348 6
1908 21 865 4,162 6
1907 12 1,171 3,844 7
1906 21 810 3,527 7
1905 22 790 3,302 7
1904 18 864 3,291 7
1903 13 1,002 3,121 6
1902 8 1,381 3,098 7
1901 14 900 2,766 6
1900 14 1,031 3,714 7
1899 19 740 2,679 6
1898 23 686 3,171 6
1897 20 706 2,827 6
1896 24 645 3,051 6
1895 23 651 2,992 7
1894 17 730 2,977 6
1893 26 557 2,997 6
1892 13 847 3,064 7
1891 11 866 2,572 7
1890 11 853 2,670 7
1889 7 1,074 2,729 7
1888 18 602 2,993 7
1887 13 649 2,456 7
1886 8 863 2,594 7
1885 14 593 2,540 7
1884 9 766 2,707 7
1883 17 471 2,515 7
1882 6 854 2,670 7
1881 10 560 2,456 7
1880 10 562 2,632 7

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.