Yosef
Boy name · #665 in 2025 · Uniqueness 56/100
Yosef ranks #665 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 413 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #708, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,358 boys born in 2025 was named Yosef.
Babies named Yosef per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 74-year story
Yosef first appears in the Social Security records in 1951, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 470 babies and a rank of #606. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Yosef against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Yosef in class?
Yosef scores 56 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Yosef is most common
Geography matters for names, and Yosef is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Yosefs were NY (179), NJ (117), FL (20), CA (17), MD (14). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Yosef
Statistically, parents drawn to Yosef tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Yousef, Yusef, Youssef, Yusuf, and Yehuda.
YousefYusefYoussefYusufYehudaYahyaSamirYael
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Yosef | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 413 | #663 |
| 2024 | 470 | #606 |
| 2023 | 454 | #617 |
| 2022 | 421 | #654 |
| 2021 | 410 | #660 |
| 2020 | 379 | #678 |
| 2019 | 394 | #667 |
| 2018 | 356 | #685 |
| 2017 | 377 | #670 |
| 2016 | 370 | #680 |
| 2015 | 353 | #708 |
| 2014 | 362 | #690 |
| 2013 | 356 | #676 |
| 2012 | 346 | #683 |
| 2011 | 301 | #752 |
| 2010 | 287 | #773 |
| 2009 | 306 | #749 |
| 2008 | 238 | #882 |
| 2007 | 261 | #820 |
| 2006 | 234 | #857 |
| 2005 | 253 | #778 |
| 2004 | 213 | #835 |
| 2003 | 179 | #921 |
| 2002 | 201 | #830 |
| 2001 | 166 | #936 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Yosef a popular boy name?
Yosef ranked #665 among boys in 2025 with 413 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #708.
When was the name Yosef most popular?
Yosef peaked in 2024, when 470 American boys received the name (ranked #606 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Yosef?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,358 newborn American boys was named Yosef. It scores 56/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.