2000
#8,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,663
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Josephson
Son of Joseph, a patronymic surname derived from the given name Joseph.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,924 Americans carry the last name Josephson. That puts it at #9,163 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,348 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Josephson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,348
Census rank
#9,163
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,422 bearers of the surname Josephson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9163rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Josephson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Josephson
The surname Josephson is of English origin, derived from the personal name Joseph and the patronymic suffix "-son," meaning "son of Joseph." It emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century, as a way to distinguish individuals by their father's name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Josephson can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which lists a John Josephson from the village of Bradfield. This entry suggests that the name was in use among English families by the late 14th century.
In the 16th century, the Josephson family had established roots in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire and Lancashire. The Visitation of Lincolnshire in 1592 mentions a Robert Josephson, while the Visitation of Lancashire in 1613 records a Thomas Josephson.
Notably, the Josephson name has been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir William Josephson (1591-1671), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Heytesbury in 1628 and later became a judge on the Court of King's Bench.
Another notable bearer of the name was John Josephson (1633-1675), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets and planetary motion. His work, "A Treatise Concerning the Motion of Comets," published in 1674, was highly influential in the field of celestial mechanics.
In the literary realm, Edward Josephson (1818-1892) was a renowned English writer and translator. He is best known for his translations of works by Danish authors, including the renowned fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen.
The Josephson name has also been associated with places and geographical locations. For instance, Josephson's Cove in Newfoundland, Canada, was named after an early settler with the surname Josephson who established a fishing outpost in the area.
Throughout its history, the surname Josephson has undergone various spelling variations, such as Josephson, Josephsone, Josephsonn, and Josephsoune, reflecting regional dialects and the evolution of the English language over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Josephson
Among Census respondents with the surname Josephson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Josephson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Josephson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 3,122
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 111
- Two or more races2.7% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 52
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 26
- Black or African American0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Josephson
Josephson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,590
-73 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 784 places
2020
#9,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,422
-168 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,316 | 3,663 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,100 | 3,590 | 1.22 | -73 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 784 places |
| 2020 | #9,163 | 3,422 | 1.14 | -168 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 63 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Josephson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,100 | #9,163 | -0.7% |
| Count | 3,590 | 3,422 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.14 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Josephson bearers went from 3,590 to 3,422 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,100 to #9,163.
FAQ
Josephson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Josephson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,924 living Americans carry the surname Josephson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,348 residents.
How common is Josephson?
Josephson ranks #9,163 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,422 people with the surname Josephson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,924), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Josephson.
Has Josephson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Josephson went from 3,590 recorded bearers to 3,422. That is a decrease of 168 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,100 to #9,163.
What does the Census say about the background of Josephson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Josephson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Josephson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (3,122 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Josephson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Josephson (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Josephson mean?
Son of Joseph, a patronymic surname derived from the given name Joseph. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Josephson (1.14 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Josephson?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Josephson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.