Josi
An endearing diminutive of the Spanish name Josefa, meaning "She will add".
Name Census estimates that about 1,011 living Americans carry the first name Josi. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Josi today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Josi births was 2002 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Josi. 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.
People living today
1.0K
~ 1 in 339,025 Americans
Peak year
2002
36 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,248
Tracked since 1959
Popularity
Josi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Josi from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 269 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Josi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Josi 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 Josi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Josis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Josi
The name Josi has its origins in the Spanish language, derived from the Biblical name Jose, which ultimately traces back to the Hebrew name Yosef. The name Yosef is derived from the Hebrew verb "yasaf," meaning "to add" or "to increase." This biblical connection suggests that the name Josi may have been borne by those of Jewish or Christian faith in its early use.
In its Spanish form, Jose, the name was widely used in Spain and its territories, including parts of the Americas, during the colonial era. The diminutive form Josi likely emerged as a nickname or shortened version of Jose, particularly in regions where Spanish was spoken.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Josi can be found in the 16th century, when Josi de Acosta, a Spanish Jesuit missionary and naturalist, was born in 1540 in Medina del Campo, Spain. He is known for his works on the natural and moral history of the West Indies, where he spent several years as a missionary.
Another notable historical figure bearing the name Josi was Josi Rizal, a Filipino polymath and national hero, born in 1861. Rizal was a writer, poet, physician, and advocate for Philippine independence from Spanish colonial rule. He was executed by firing squad in 1896 at the age of 35, becoming a martyr for the Philippine Revolution.
In the realm of music, Josi Carreras, a Spanish tenor and one of the Three Tenors, was born in 1946 in Barcelona, Spain. He is renowned for his operatic performances and recordings, particularly in the bel canto repertoire.
Josi Saramago, a Portuguese writer and recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature, was born in 1922 in Azinhaga, Portugal. His works, including novels such as "Blindness" and "The Stone Raft," explored themes of human existence, power, and social justice.
Lastly, Josi Mujica, a former President of Uruguay (2010-2015), was born in 1935 in Montevideo. Known as "the poorest president in the world" for his modest lifestyle, Mujica was a former guerrilla fighter and advocate for human rights and social reforms.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who have borne the name Josi throughout history, spanning various fields, cultures, and time periods.
People
Josi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Josi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Josi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Josi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,011 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Josi 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 339,025 US residents.
Is Josi a common name?
We classify Josi as "Rare". It ranks above 90.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,046 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Josi most popular?
The single biggest year for Josi was 2002, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Josi is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Josi a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Josi in the SSA data are female. 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.