Total births
2,669,490
Boys' name · since 1880
Joseph
Joseph has 2,669,490 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1956 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #32
- among boys today
- 2,669,490
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other boys
Joseph currently ranks #32 among boys' names in America, with 2,669,490 babies recorded since 1880.
Joseph has 2,669,490 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #32 as of the latest data, more common than 99.8% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #32 among boys today
- 2,669,490 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 99.8% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Joseph is currently the #32 boys' name in America, more common than 99.8% of boys - 2,669,490 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #32
- among boys today
- 2,669,490
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other boys
Joseph vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#32
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.8% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
11% of everyone ever named Joseph was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
32,749 babies were named Joseph in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Joseph compares
2,669,490 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Joseph's all-time total is 7,274x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Joseph | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,669,490 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 32,749 | 23 | 22,252 |
Joseph's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Joseph's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 62% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 38%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 2,456 births recorded -- set against the 1956 peak of 32,749, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Joseph at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1956
Current rank
#32
Active since
1880
Joseph popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 32,749
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Joseph popularity over time - girls
10,723 total births recorded since 1880 (Joseph as girls' name)
Joseph by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Joseph's strongest decade.
300,012 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 11% of all-time use.
Joseph births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 26,292
1880s
26,292 births
- 1890s 29,000
1890s
29,000 births
- 1900s 35,173
1900s
35,173 births
- 1910s
1910s
179,300 births
- 1920s
1920s
243,809 births
- 1930s
1930s
180,566 births
- 1940s
1940s
230,285 births
- 1950s
1950s
300,012 births
- 1960s
1960s
283,048 births
- 1970s
1970s
244,825 births
- 1980s
1980s
299,411 births
- 1990s
1990s
260,751 births
- 2000s
2000s
194,962 births
- 2010s 115,722
2010s
115,722 births
- 2020s 46,334
2020s
46,334 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 300,012 births (11% of all-time use).
How Joseph 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 Joseph's total volume
Joseph vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Joseph by state
Where Joseph concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 348,324 | 13.0% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 257,988 | 9.7% |
| #3 | California | | 181,731 | 6.8% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 138,689 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 135,774 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 122,769 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 111,252 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Texas | | 98,928 | 3.7% |
New York share of Joseph's total US births 13.0%
Even split
348,324 of 2,669,490 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Joseph appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Joseph? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 2,669,490 babies named Joseph. Today it holds rank #32 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1956, with 32,749 births.
When was Joseph most popular? ▼
Joseph was most popular in the 1950s decade with 300,012 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Joseph most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Joseph are New York (348,324 births), Pennsylvania (257,988 births), California (181,731 births).
How long has the name Joseph been used? ▼
Records for Joseph go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Joseph? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Joshua, Jose, Josiah, Josue, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Joseph's data
- Joseph's decade-level peak was the 1950s (300,012 total births); usage has since declined to 46,334 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Josephs (348,324 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Joseph
Nearby Names Like Joseph
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Joseph
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
Josh Boy
#1736 17,288 births
Compare Joseph side by side: Joseph vs Joshua Joseph vs Jose Joseph vs Josiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Joseph
David #31
3,676,654 births · Peak 1955
Matthew #33
1,654,075 births · Peak 1983
Julian #30
264,985 births · Peak 2017
Luke #34
323,020 births · Peak 2014
Santiago #29
103,828 births · Peak 2025
Jackson #35
297,220 births · Peak 2013
Dylan #28
418,679 births · Peak 2001
Maverick #36
70,604 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Joseph: #32 Boys' Name - 2,669,490 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/joseph. 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 Joseph 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 June 2026.