Josef

maleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Josef: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Josef: Recorded since 1946, it reached #189 in 2021, and it stood at #236 in 2025.

4registrars recorded it
101times a registrar ranked it
80years from first to last
#189highest recorded position
23groupings it qualifies for

Region

Falling

among boys in England and Wales · 1996–2024

View as table

England and Wales · Boys rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#285
1997	#301
1998	#317
1999	#283
2000	#298
2001	#333
2002	#363
2003	#317
2004	#391
2005	#445
2006	#490
2007	#501
2008	#613
2009	#682
2010	#721
2011	#852
2012	#866
2013	#910
2014	#1281
2015	#1159
2016	#914
2017	#1339
2018	#958
2019	#1745
2020	#1723
2021	#1595
2022	#1609
2023	#2546
2024	#2443

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Boys

Recorded in official data among boys in Norway in 70 of the 80 years from 1946 to 2025.

In 2024: #239 among boys in Norway, #2443 among boys in England and Wales.

Official data from 4 national registrars across 4 regions, 1946–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1946
First recorded at #274 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1946–2025
Highest recorded position: #189 among boys in Norway, in 2021 (recorded 1946–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #236 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys

Josef appears in 2 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Norway · Boys, which has ranked it in 70 years beginning in 1946, and has registered 766 births with the name.

Josef across 2 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Josef's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Norway · Boys	#274 (1946)	#189 (2021)	#236 (2025)	70 of 80	766 (1946–2025)	27 (2017)
England and Wales · Boys	#285 (1996)	#283 (1999)	#2443 (2024)	29 of 29	1,379 (1996–2024)	96 (1999)

Josef by decade in Norway · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Josef in Norway · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1940s	30	4 of 10	8
1950s	47	8 of 10	6
1960s	40	6 of 10	7
1970s	32	7 of 10	5
1980s	54	9 of 10	6
1990s	100	10 of 10	10
2000s	138	10 of 10	14
2010sbusiest	219	10 of 10	22
2020s	106	6 of 10	18

Across Norway · Boys, the 2010s were its busiest decade, averaging 22 births a year.

See the names Norwayhas recorded the most births with →

Josef appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1946 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #189 in Norway in 2021.

Josef's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	male	#2443	9	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	male	#2546	8	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	male	#1609	15	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	male	#1595	15	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	male	#1723	13	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	male	#1745	13	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	male	#958	30	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	male	#1339	19	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	male	#914	33	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	male	#1159	23	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	male	#1281	20	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	male	#910	32	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	male	#866	35	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	male	#852	34	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	male	#721	42	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	male	#682	44	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	male	#613	51	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	male	#501	65	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	male	#490	62	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	male	#445	63	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	male	#391	72	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	male	#317	88	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	male	#363	67	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	male	#333	78	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	male	#298	92	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	male	#283	96	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	male	#317	80	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	male	#301	87	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	male	#285	93	High	Verified
2002	Northern Ireland	male	#281	3	High	Verified
2025	Norway	male	#236	18	High	Verified
2024	Norway	male	#239	18	High	Verified
2023	Norway	male	#252	17	High	Verified
2022	Norway	male	#251	16	High	Verified
2021	Norway	male	#189	24	High	Verified
2020	Norway	male	#273	13	High	Verified
2019	Norway	male	#202	25	High	Verified
2018	Norway	male	#202	26	High	Verified
2017	Norway	male	#196	27	High	Verified
2016	Norway	male	#235	22	High	Verified
2015	Norway	male	#220	24	High	Verified
2014	Norway	male	#247	20	High	Verified
2013	Norway	male	#239	21	High	Verified
2012	Norway	male	#255	19	High	Verified
2011	Norway	male	#249	20	High	Verified
2010	Norway	male	#298	15	High	Verified
2009	Norway	male	#259	19	High	Verified
2008	Norway	male	#308	14	High	Verified
2007	Norway	male	#324	12	High	Verified
2006	Norway	male	#258	18	High	Verified
2005	Norway	male	#306	12	High	Verified
2004	Norway	male	#291	13	High	Verified
2003	Norway	male	#353	10	High	Verified
2002	Norway	male	#256	16	High	Verified
2001	Norway	male	#323	11	High	Verified
2000	Norway	male	#307	13	High	Verified
1999	Norway	male	#386	9	High	Verified
1998	Norway	male	#427	7	High	Verified
1997	Norway	male	#261	18	High	Verified
1996	Norway	male	#481	6	High	Verified
1995	Norway	male	#343	12	High	Verified
1994	Norway	male	#310	14	High	Verified
1993	Norway	male	#298	15	High	Verified
1992	Norway	male	#378	10	High	Verified
1991	Norway	male	#580	5	High	Verified
1990	Norway	male	#626	4	High	Verified
1989	Norway	male	#624	4	High	Verified
1988	Norway	male	#590	5	High	Verified
1987	Norway	male	#534	6	High	Verified
1985	Norway	male	#467	8	High	Verified
1984	Norway	male	#444	9	High	Verified
1983	Norway	male	#538	6	High	Verified
1982	Norway	male	#625	4	High	Verified
1981	Norway	male	#646	4	High	Verified
1980	Norway	male	#468	8	High	Verified
1979	Norway	male	#624	4	High	Verified
1977	Norway	male	#544	5	High	Verified
1976	Norway	male	#556	5	High	Verified
1975	Norway	male	#565	5	High	Verified
1974	Norway	male	#618	4	High	Verified
1971	Norway	male	#560	5	High	Verified
1970	Norway	male	#579	4	High	Verified
1969	Norway	male	#525	5	High	Verified
1968	Norway	male	#500	5	High	Verified
1967	Norway	male	#369	9	High	Verified
1966	Norway	male	#500	5	High	Verified
1962	Norway	male	#340	9	High	Verified
1961	Norway	male	#367	7	High	Verified
1958	Norway	male	#465	4	High	Verified
1957	Norway	male	#430	4	High	Verified
1956	Norway	male	#364	6	High	Verified
1955	Norway	male	#391	5	High	Verified
1954	Norway	male	#358	6	High	Verified
1952	Norway	male	#361	5	High	Verified
1951	Norway	male	#271	10	High	Verified
1950	Norway	male	#311	7	High	Verified
1949	Norway	male	#325	6	High	Verified
1948	Norway	male	#299	8	High	Verified
1947	Norway	male	#338	6	High	Verified
1946	Norway	male	#274	10	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	male	#422	8	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Norway hub — collected by Statistics Norway (SSB)
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 4 registrars between 1946 and 2025, ranked in 70 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #189, first reached in 2021.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 96 births, registered in England and Wales in 1999.

Its record falls into 7 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 3 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 67 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Joscelyn · #2152, 17y
Jose · #180, 79y
Josefine · #24, 45y
Joselyn · #2112, 19y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 4 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Hasan · #191, 73y
Lilian · #194, 68y
Rene · #175, 68y
Igor · #170, 65y

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1940 and 1949.

Bernhard · #189, 79y
Kitty · #189, 60y
Ansgar · #188, 22y
Eldar · #188, 69y

Josef was ranked #189 in Norway · Boys in 2021. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Josef and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Josef without appearing here.

Josef moved ahead of

Ross Compare
In 2023 they stood at #2546 and #2160 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2024 that had become #2443 and #3254.
Pål Compare
In 2011 they stood at #249 and #225 in Norway · Boys; by 2012 that had become #255 and #521.
Harry Compare
In 1994 they stood at #580 and #575 in Norway · Boys; by 1995 that had become #343 and #590.
Gary Compare
In 2023 they stood at #2546 and #2546 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2024 that had become #2443 and #2671.

Moved ahead of Josef

Matheo Compare
In 2022 they stood at #1609 and #2018 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2023 that had become #2546 and #1363.
Isak Compare
In 2022 they stood at #1609 and #3449 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2023 that had become #2546 and #1461.
Marius Compare
In 2018 they stood at #958 and #1194 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2019 that had become #1745 and #731.
Wayne Compare
In 2022 they stood at #1609 and #2320 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2023 that had become #2546 and #1610.

Moved the opposite way to Josef

Albie Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Josef went from #285 to #2443 while Albie went from #853 to #19.
Alfie Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Josef went from #285 to #2443 while Alfie went from #119 to #16.
Alfred Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Josef went from #285 to #2443 while Alfred went from #218 to #81.
Archie Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Josef went from #285 to #2443 while Archie went from #192 to #10.

Moved the same way as Josef

Adrian Compare
Between 1958 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Josef went from #465 to #236 and Adrian from #449 to #70.
Oliver Compare
Between 1966 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Josef went from #500 to #236 and Oliver from #543 to #5.
Sondre Compare
Between 1966 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Josef went from #500 to #236 and Sondre from #512 to #140.
Sander Compare
Between 1968 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Josef went from #500 to #236 and Sander from #555 to #38.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1946 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #189 in Norway in 2021. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Josef

Josef at a glance

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Josef across 2 official records

Josef by decade in Norway · Boys

Josef appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Names published alongside Josef

Josef and the names beside it

Josef moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Josef

Moved the opposite way to Josef

Moved the same way as Josef

Josef at a glance

Josef across 2 official records

Josef by decade in Norway · Boys

Josef appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Names published alongside Josef

Josef and the names beside it

Josef moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Josef

Moved the opposite way to Josef

Moved the same way as Josef