Yosef
/joʊˈzɛf/noun
A Hebrew masculine given name, corresponding to Joseph in English.
Did you know?In Genesis, Rachel gives Yosef his name with a wordplay prayer that God will add another son—making the name itself an ancient expression of hope and manifestation.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
יוֹסֵף (Yōsēf)
“He will add; he may add”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
יָסַף (yāsaph)
“To add, increase, or do again”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Greek
Ἰωσήφ (Iōsēph)
“Joseph; the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
Ioseph
“Joseph; Latin form adopted from Greek”
Old English
English
Ioseph
“Joseph, chiefly transmitted through Christian scripture and tradition”
Modern English
English
Yosef
“A modern transliteration preserving the Hebrew form, alongside the Anglicized form Joseph”