Total births
9,158
Boys' name · since 1900
Josef
Since 1900, U.S. Social Security records show 9,158 babies named Josef, peaking in 1999. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2264
- among boys today
- 9,158
- born since 1900
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
Josef currently ranks #2264 among boys' names in America, with 9,158 babies recorded since 1900.
Social Security Administration records show Josef recorded 9,158 times among boys since 1900, holding rank #2264 nationally today, ahead of 84% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1900 to 2025.
- #2264 among boys today
- 9,158 born since 1900
- 2000s peak decade
- 84% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Josef is currently the #2264 boys' name in America, more common than 84% of boys - 9,158 born since 1900, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2264
- among boys today
- 9,158
- born since 1900
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
Josef vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2264
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 84% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Josef was born in this single decade.
1999
Single peak year
220 babies were named Josef in 1999 - its busiest year on record.
How Josef compares
9,158 Top 9% higher than 91% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Josef's all-time total is 25x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Josef | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,158 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 220 | 23 | 22,252 |
Josef's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Josef's full recorded timeline at 1965, 86% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 14% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1908, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1999 peak of 220 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Josef at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1999
Current rank
#2,264
Active since
1900
Josef popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1900–2025
- Peak year (1999)
- 220
- Annual births at peak, across 126 years of records
Josef by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Josef's strongest decade.
1,834 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Josef births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 43
1900s
43 births
- 1910s 173
1910s
173 births
- 1920s 162
1920s
162 births
- 1930s 135
1930s
135 births
- 1940s 172
1940s
172 births
- 1950s 335
1950s
335 births
- 1960s 554
1960s
554 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,026 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,559 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,789 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,834 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,011 births
- 2020s 365
2020s
365 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,834 births (20% of all-time use).
How Josef compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Josef's total volume
Josef vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Josef by state
Where Josef concentrates geographically, total births since 1900
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,062 | 11.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 1,024 | 11.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 558 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 390 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 266 | 2.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 239 | 2.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 232 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 210 | 2.3% |
California share of Josef's total US births 11.6%
Even split
1,062 of 9,158 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Josef appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Josef? ▼
9,158 babies have been named Josef since 1900. It currently ranks #2264 among boys. The peak year was 1999 with 220 births.
When was Josef most popular? ▼
Josef was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,834 total births. The single peak year was 1999.
Where is Josef most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Josef are California (1,062 births), New York (1,024 births), Texas (558 births).
How long has the name Josef been used? ▼
Josef has been recorded in Social Security data since 1900, spanning 126 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Josef? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Joseph, Joshua, Jose, Josiah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Josef's data
- Josef's decade-level peak was the 2000s (1,834 total births); usage has since declined to 365 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Josefs (1,062 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Josef
Nearby Names Like Josef
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Josef
Joseph Boy
#32 2,669,490 births
Joshua Boy
#57 1,248,929 births
Jose Boy
#91 592,512 births
Josiah Boy
#53 148,958 births
Josue Boy
#294 57,689 births
Compare Josef side by side: Josef vs Joseph Josef vs Joshua Josef vs Jose
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Josef
June #2263
3,627 births · Peak 1922
Darnell #2265
28,631 births · Peak 1984
Raleigh #2262
9,279 births · Peak 1921
Raymundo #2266
9,493 births · Peak 1994
Edmond #2261
24,893 births · Peak 1920
Usher #2267
1,306 births · Peak 2025
Kaiyr #2260
115 births · Peak 2024
Ragnar #2268
787 births · Peak 2023
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1900–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Josef: #2264 Boys' Name - 9,158 Births, Peak 1999." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/josef. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Josef draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.