boy's name
Jose
hoh-SEH
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 659,118
the United States
#95
2025 births
Jose is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "he will add," the Spanish and Portuguese form of Joseph. It is written José with an accent in both languages, and has been among the most common male names across the Spanish-speaking world for centuries.
- Jose is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2002, when 12,916 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 901 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Jose over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 910 |
| 1890s | 974 |
| 1900s | 1,642 |
| 1910s | 5,968 |
| 1920s | 14,658 |
| 1930s | 12,507 |
| 1940s | 17,011 |
| 1950s | 31,728 |
| 1960s | 42,441 |
| 1970s | 67,114 |
| 1980s | 87,486 |
| 1990s | 119,783 |
| 2000s | 116,108 |
| 2010s | 55,288 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 23,114 |
What Jose means
Jose means he will add, or God shall add, inherited from the Hebrew Yosef. Genesis presents the name as Rachel's prayer that another son be added, so the sense is one of increase.
Where Jose comes from
Jose is the Spanish and Portuguese development of the Latin Iosephus, from the Hebrew Yosef, meaning he will add. Its dominance across Iberia and Latin America owes much to devotion to Saint Joseph, husband of Mary, who was named patron of the universal church in 1870 and is the patron of workers and of a good death. The name is frequently paired — José María is common for men in Spanish-speaking countries, and María José for women, in each case honoring both figures. The accented José is correct in Spanish and Portuguese; Jose without it is the usual form in English-language records.
Jose in use
José María for men and María José for women are both common in Spanish-speaking countries, honoring both figures at once.
How popular is Jose?
In 2025, Jose was given to 3,678 babies in the United States, ranking #95 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Jose is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Jose is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| José | José is Jose written with an acute accent in France, and the spelling parents there overwhelmingly choose: it ranks #711 in France, against #5,832 for Jose. | 59,044 |
Names that peaked alongside Jose
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Jose also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jose over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Jose
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Jose in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Jose
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Jose — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Jose
What does the name Jose mean?
Jose means "he will add," the Spanish form of Joseph, from the Hebrew Yosef.
Is Jose the Spanish form of Joseph?
Yes, written José in Spanish and Portuguese.
Why is Pepe a nickname for Jose?
It is traditionally explained by the abbreviation P.P. for pater putativus, Joseph's title as the putative father of Jesus.
How popular is the name Jose?
In 2025, Jose was given to 3,678 babies in the United States, ranking #95 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Jose a girl's or a boy's name?
Jose is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jose?
Jose has 2 syllables.
When was Jose most popular?
Jose peaked in 2002, when 12,916 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Jose a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jose currently ranks #95 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.