Boy name
Josef name meaning
“may God add or increase”
Josef means “may God add or increase” and is used as a masculine name in Türkiye. It is a German, Czech, and wider European form of Hebrew Yosef, a name expressing a wish for increase. The writer and artist Josef Čapek provides a concrete historical association.
- Gender
- ♂ Boy
- Origin
- European languages
- Syllables
- 2
- Popularity
- #2,883
What does Josef mean?
May God add or increase
In Turkish: Tanrı artırsın, çoğaltsın
Josef shares its historical origin with Turkish Yusuf. The biblical account of Joseph's birth explains its association with a wish for increase. Joseph and Giuseppe belong to the same family; composer Josef Strauss provides one historical example of this particular spelling.
Origin of the name Josef
Josef is a German, Czech and other European form of Hebrew Yosef. The source name expresses a wish for God to add or increase, using the Hebrew verb for adding.
| Linguistic origin | European languages, Hebrew |
|---|---|
| Is Josef in the Quran? | No |
| Starts with | J |
How to pronounce Josef
| Syllables | 2 · 5 letters · 5-letter boy names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /ʒosef/ |
Is Josef a boy’s name?
Yes, Josef is used mostly as a boy’s name. See all boy names.
Josef does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 1 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Spellings and similar names
Names that sound like Josef
Names with related meanings
- Yusuf♂May God add
- İsmail♂God has heard
- Abdullah♂Servant of God
- Abdulkadir♂Servant of the All-Powerful
- Abdurrahman♂Servant of the Most Merciful
- Samet♂Self-sufficient
- İlyas♂My God is Yahweh
- Abdülhamid♂Servant of God, the Praiseworthy
- Nurullah♂God's light
- Beytullah♂The House of God
- Emrullah♂God's command or decree
- Mikail♂Who is like God?
Famous people named Josef
- Josef Çınar · b. 1984
FAQ about the name Josef
What is the meaning of Josef?
Josef means “may God add or increase”. Josef is a German, Czech and other European form of Hebrew Yosef. The source name expresses a wish for God to add or increase, using the Hebrew verb for adding.
Is Josef a boy’s name?
Yes, Josef is used mostly as a boy’s name.
Is Josef in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Josef nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Josef?
Josef is of European languages and Hebrew origin.
How many syllables does Josef have?
Josef has 2 syllables and 5 letters.
How popular is the name Josef?
Josef does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 1 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Famous people named Josef?
Notable people named Josef include Josef Çınar.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm11584 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake