Find out how popular the last name Josef is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Josef.

Josef, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Josef surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Josef in America

Josef is the 56836th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Josef surname appeared 359 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Josef.

We can also compare 2010 data for Josef to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Josef

The surname Josef has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is a variant of the name Joseph, derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "he will add" or "he will increase". This name was borne by one of the sons of Jacob in the biblical Book of Genesis.

The earliest known records of the surname Josef date back to the 12th century in Germany, where it was commonly spelled as Joseff or Joseppe. During this time, it was common for Jewish communities to adopt surnames based on their given names or those of their ancestors.

In the 13th century, the surname Josef was found in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. It is believed that the name may have been introduced to these areas by Jewish families migrating from other parts of Europe.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Josef can be found in the Nuremberg Memorbuch, a Jewish memorial book from the 14th century, which mentions a person named Josef ben Eliezer.

In the 15th century, the surname Josef gained popularity in Austria, particularly in Vienna, where it was often spelled as Joseff or Joseffe. One notable individual from this period was Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Delmedigo (1591-1655), a prominent Jewish scholar and philosopher who was born in Candia, Crete.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Josef was widespread throughout Central and Eastern Europe, with many variations in spelling, such as Joseff, Joseppe, and Joseffi. One notable individual from this era was Josef Penso de la Vega (1650-1692), a Dutch Sephardic Jewish scholar and author.

In the 18th century, the surname Josef was well-established in regions of Germany, Austria, and Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic). Notable individuals from this period include Josef Haydn (1732-1809), the famous Austrian composer, and Josef Jungmann (1773-1847), a Czech linguist and writer who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival.

As the surname Josef spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. In the 19th century, individuals bearing the surname Josef could be found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, where they contributed to the diverse cultural tapestry of these nations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Josef

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Josef.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Josef was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Josef has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Josef was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Josef, please contact us.

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