UK boy's name
Josif
A masculine given name of Hebrew origin meaning "he will add".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Josif is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Josif popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4702, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2019 to 2019. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Josif is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Josif. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2020 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Josif ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales in 2019, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 3 boys were registered as Josif.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Josif as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4702
2019
Births in 2019
3
Latest year
Peak year
2019
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Josif mean?
The name Josif originates from the Hebrew name Yosef, which means "he will add" or "he will increase". It has its roots in the biblical figure Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel, who is a prominent character in the Book of Genesis.
The name Josif is a variant spelling found in several Slavic languages, including Russian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian. This variant likely emerged due to the influence of the Byzantine Empire and the spread of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Josif can be found in the Old Church Slavonic translation of the Bible, dating back to the 9th century. This translation played a crucial role in the spread of the name throughout the Slavic world.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Josif. One of the most famous is Josif Vissarionovich Stalin (1878-1953), the former leader of the Soviet Union. Another prominent figure is Josif Brodsky (1940-1996), a Russian-American poet and essayist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987.
In the realm of religion, Josif Sanin (1837-1891) was a Russian Orthodox monk and saint known for his asceticism and spiritual teachings. Josif Volotsky (1439-1515) was a prominent Russian Orthodox monk and theologian who played a significant role in the development of the Church's monastic tradition.
Furthermore, Josif Semashko (1798-1868) was a prominent figure in the Uniate Church (also known as the Greek Catholic Church), which sought to unite Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions. He served as the Uniate Metropolitan of Kyiv and was instrumental in the church's growth in the Russian Empire.
These examples illustrate the historical significance and widespread use of the name Josif across various cultures, religions, and contexts throughout history.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Josif by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Josif was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4702 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Josif
- Jack 188,738
- Joshua 145,192
- James 141,878
- Joseph 102,259
- Jacob 93,754
- Jake 66,896
- Jamie 41,243
- Jordan 36,750
- Jayden 28,921
- Jude 24,156
- John 22,240
- Joe 19,164
FAQ
Josif: questions and answers
How popular is the name Josif in the UK right now?
In 2019, Josif was ranked #4702 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Josif most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 3 babies registered as Josif in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Josif?
A masculine given name of Hebrew origin meaning "he will add".
How many people are called Josif in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Josif across the 1 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.