Origin of the name
Joseph comes from the the name Ioseph, which is the Latin form of a Greek word. It also comes from the Hebrew name Yosef, which means he will add.
In the Old Testament of the Bible Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob and the first with his wife Rachel. He was the favorite son of his father and this made his brother’s jealous. Therefore they sold him to Egypt as a slave, and told their father he had died.
There he became an advisor, and eventually the main advisor to the Pharaoh of Egypt. Joseph was eventually reunited with his brothers when they were forced to come to Egypt because of famine.
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During the Middle Ages Joseph was a common name amongst Jewish boys, but not as popular with Christians. In the late Middle ages St.
Joseph became more popular and revered and the name Joseph became more popular in Spain and Italy. The name became more popular among Christians after the Protestant Restoration. Rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Portugal have been named Joseph.
The Name Joseph in the Bible
Joseph is a Biblical name, meaning increase or addition. The name comes from the Hebrew name, May Jehovah, which means to add, give, or increase.
The name Joseph has a long history in the Bible. Many say that St. Joseph of Arimathea, buried Jesus. Jesus’s father was also named Joseph.
Some lesser known Joseph’s are the father of Igal, who is a spy that Moses sent to the Promised Land. In 1 Chronicles there is also a prohesizing musician who is in the service of the tabernacle.
In Ezra Joseph divorced one of his foreign wives during the purge. In Nehemiah a returning priest carried the name. Christ had three ancestors named Joseph, including his father.
In addition to this, Jesus had a brother named Joseph. In Acts the potential, and rejected replacement of Judah, also carried this name. It appears 35 times in the new testament, and over 200 times in the Hebrew Bible.
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Popularity of the name Joseph
Currently the name is most popular in the United States of America, and is closely followed by England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The name is also popular in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, France, and Canada.
Joseph has also led to the name Joses, which appears six times in the bible, and the name Jose, which appears once.
Famous People Named Joseph
Joe Montana – is a retired quarterback for the national football league. He played the majority of his 16 season with the San Francisco 49ers. He won four Super Bowl‘s and was the first player to be named Super Bowl most valuable player three times.
He also holds Super Bowl records for the most passes without an interception and the all-time highest quarterback rating. In 2000 he was elected to the pro football Hall of Fame. He is regarded by almost everyone as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Joe Pesci – is an American actor singer, musician, and comedian. He is known for playing tough volatile characters. He is best known for his role as Harry Lime in Home Alone and Home Alone Two: Lost in New York.
He also played Vincent Gambini in My Cousin Vinny and starred in Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and Casino. Over his career he has been nominated for multiple awards for his performances.
Joe Namath – is a retired American professional football player. His nicknames are Broadway Joe and Joe Willie. He is famous for playing the majority of his career with the New York Jets.
During his career he played in three division championships and won a Super Bowl. He was inducted into the Pro football Hall of Fame in 1985.
Joe Strummer – is the stage name of John Mellon. He was an English musician, singer, actor, and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of The Clash. They are famous for songs such as London Calling and Combat Rock.
Along with the rest of his bandmates he was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Joe Cocker – was an English singer and musician. His cover of the Beatles song With a Little Help from my Friends reached number one in the UK in 1868.
His version of the song also became the theme song for the TV series The Wonder Years. His cover of You Are So Beautiful reached number five in the US. He also won a Grammy in 1983 for his song Up Where We Belong.
