Joseph
A surname taken from the biblical personal name Joseph, widely used among both Jewish and Christian families.
The #313 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,058 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from the personal name Joseph, from Hebrew Yosef, meaning “he will add” or “may he add.” In English surname use, it usually began as a hereditary family name formed from an ancestor’s given name rather than from an occupational or place-name meaning. Lower specifically notes it as “the personal name,” and remarks that it was common among Jews, though not limited to them.
History
Joseph became a familiar surname in medieval and post-medieval Britain through the popularity of the biblical name. It was especially common among Jewish families, but Christian families also adopted it, so the surname has multiple independent origins in different communities. In modern English-speaking countries it is fairly widespread and often reflects immigration or biblical naming traditions rather than a single ancestral line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it comes straight from a very common personal name, Joseph is one of those surnames that can arise independently in many different families.
From the historical record
“JOSELIN. See Joslin. JOSEPH. JOSEPHS. The personal name. A common surname among the Jews, but not confined to that nation. JOSKYN. A dlmhiutive of Joseph. JOSLIN. JO SLING. JOSLAND. Corruptions of the personal name Joscelyne. JOURDAN. JOURD^UN. See Jor- dan.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom