Iosefa
Variant of the masculine name Joseph, of Hebrew origin meaning "he will add".
Name Census estimates that about 88 living Americans carry the first name Iosefa. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Iosefa today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iosefa births was 2024 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iosefa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Iosefa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
88
~ 1 in 3,894,936 Americans
Peak year
2024
9 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,564
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Iosefa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Iosefa from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 43 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Iosefa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Iosefa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Iosefa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Iosefa
The name Iosefa has its origins in the Samoan language and culture. It is the Samoan form of the Hebrew name Joseph, which means "he will add" or "he will increase". The earliest known use of the name Iosefa dates back to the 19th century when Christian missionaries introduced the name to Samoa.
In Samoan culture, the name Iosefa has been associated with strength, leadership, and resilience. Many prominent figures in Samoan history have borne this name, including Iosefa Aloisio, a celebrated writer and poet who lived from 1920 to 1985. His works played a significant role in preserving and promoting Samoan language and culture.
Another notable Iosefa was Iosefa Inosia, a prominent chief and political leader who lived from 1879 to 1952. He was instrumental in negotiating Samoa's independence from colonial rule and advocating for the rights of the Samoan people.
The name Iosefa has also been carried by influential figures in the realm of sports. Iosefa Tekori, born in 1946, was a renowned rugby player who represented Samoa at the international level and is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
In the field of religion, Iosefa Esera, born in 1920, was a prominent Samoan minister and theologian. He played a crucial role in the growth and development of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa, which is one of the largest Christian denominations in the country.
Iosefa Maiava, born in 1858, was a celebrated Samoan navigator and explorer. He was renowned for his exceptional navigational skills and his knowledge of traditional Samoan navigation techniques, which he shared with future generations.
While the name Iosefa has its roots in the Samoan language and culture, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Samoan diaspora communities. However, its historical significance and cultural connections remain deeply rooted in the Samoan tradition.
People
Iosefa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iosefa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Iosefa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iosefa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 88 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iosefa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,894,936 US residents.
Is Iosefa a common name?
We classify Iosefa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 89 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Iosefa most popular?
The single biggest year for Iosefa was 2024, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iosefa is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Iosefa a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Iosefa in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.