Siosifa
A masculine Samoan name meaning "Joseph" of Hebrew origin.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Siosifa. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Siosifa today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Siosifa births was 2021 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Siosifa. 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 Siosifa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2021
6 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2021 SSA rank
#11,923
Tracked since 2020
Popularity
Siosifa: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Siosifa 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 Siosifa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Siosifa
The name Siosifa originates from the Samoan language, which is spoken in the Samoan Islands located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is a variant of the name Joseph, which has Hebrew roots and means "he will add" or "increaser." The name Joseph has been widely adopted and adapted across various cultures and languages.
In Samoan culture, the name Siosifa holds significant importance and is often associated with strength, leadership, and wisdom. It is believed to have been introduced to the Samoan Islands during the arrival of Christian missionaries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. As the missionaries worked to translate religious texts, including the Bible, into the Samoan language, they adapted the name Joseph to fit the local linguistic patterns, resulting in the variant Siosifa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Siosifa can be found in the Samoan Bible translation, which was completed in the mid-19th century. This marked a significant milestone in the spread of Christianity in the region and the adoption of biblical names among the Samoan people.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Siosifa. One of the earliest recorded figures was Siosifa Tuialamu (1834-1889), a prominent Samoan chief and orator who played a crucial role in the political and cultural affairs of the Samoan Islands during the 19th century.
Another notable figure was Siosifa Iosefa (1875-1942), a Samoan politician and leader who served as the prime minister of the German Samoa colony from 1914 to 1919. His leadership during a tumultuous period in Samoan history earned him widespread respect and admiration.
In the realm of sports, Siosifa Tufunga (1928-2002) was a renowned Samoan rugby union player who represented the national team and played a significant role in popularizing the sport in the Samoan Islands.
Siosifa Sopoanga (1942-2018) was a prominent Samoan artist and cultural ambassador who gained international recognition for his intricate wood carvings and dedication to preserving Samoan artistic traditions.
Siosifa Tapelu (1960-present) is a contemporary Samoan writer and academic who has made significant contributions to the study and promotion of Samoan language and literature, both within the Samoan Islands and globally.
The name Siosifa has a rich history and cultural significance in the Samoan Islands, reflecting the influence of Christianity and the adaptation of biblical names to fit local linguistic traditions. Its presence in historical records, religious texts, and the lives of notable individuals highlights its enduring popularity and importance within Samoan culture.
People
Siosifa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Siosifa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Siosifa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Siosifa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Siosifa 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Siosifa a common name?
We classify Siosifa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Siosifa most popular?
The single biggest year for Siosifa was 2021, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Siosifa is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Siosifa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Siosifa a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Siosifa 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.
Is Siosifa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Siosifa in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Siosifa can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Siosifa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.