NameCensus.

UK surname

Joseph

A biblical surname referring to the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus, or to a descendent of his lineage.

In the 1881 census there were 2,424 people recorded with the Joseph surname, ranking it #1,833 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,846, ranked #503, up from #1,833 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Christ Church Spitalfields and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Hackney and Newham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Joseph is 12,864 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 430.0%.

1881 census count

2,424

Ranked #1,833

Modern count

12,846

2016, ranked #503

Peak year

2014

12,864 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Joseph had 2,424 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,833 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,846 in 2016, ranked #503.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,577 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Joseph surname distribution map

The map shows where the Joseph surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Joseph surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Joseph over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,867 #1,548
1861 historical 2,445 #1,195
1881 historical 2,424 #1,833
1891 historical 2,920 #1,612
1901 historical 3,192 #1,757
1911 historical 3,577 #1,458
1997 modern 7,470 #862
1998 modern 7,835 #855
1999 modern 7,921 #852
2000 modern 7,992 #840
2001 modern 7,809 #843
2002 modern 8,435 #789
2003 modern 8,613 #746
2004 modern 9,107 #704
2005 modern 9,839 #633
2006 modern 10,547 #586
2007 modern 10,993 #567
2008 modern 11,507 #543
2009 modern 12,065 #536
2010 modern 12,610 #520
2011 modern 12,377 #527
2012 modern 12,337 #516
2013 modern 12,669 #515
2014 modern 12,864 #510
2015 modern 12,783 #507
2016 modern 12,846 #503

Geography

Back to top

Where Josephs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Christ Church Spitalfields, London parishes and St Mary Whitechapel. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Westminster, Hackney, Newham and Haringey. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 1
4 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Westminster 004 Westminster
2 Westminster 005 Westminster
3 Hackney 016 Hackney
4 Newham 018 Newham
5 Haringey 029 Haringey

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Joseph

These lists show first names that appear often with the Joseph surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Joseph

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Joseph, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Joseph surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Joseph household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Joseph is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Joseph is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Joseph falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Joseph is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Joseph, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Joseph

The surname Joseph originated from the biblical Hebrew given name Yosef, meaning "he will add" or "he will increase." It is derived from the root yasaf, meaning "to add" or "to increase." The name gained popularity during the medieval period, particularly in regions with a significant Christian presence.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Joseph can be traced back to the 12th century in England and France. In the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England compiled in 1086, there are several references to individuals with the given name Joseph, indicating its usage at the time.

Joseph is a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially derived from the given name of a father or ancestor. It became a hereditary surname as families began adopting fixed surnames in the 12th and 13th centuries. The surname was particularly prevalent in areas with strong Christian traditions, such as England, France, and parts of Germany and Italy.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname Joseph was William Joseph, who lived in Gloucestershire, England, in the late 12th century. Another notable early bearer was Sir John Joseph, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

In the 16th century, the surname Joseph gained prominence in various parts of Europe, with notable figures such as the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1526-1593) and the German composer and organist Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741).

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Joseph spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. Notable individuals from this period include the French explorer Pierre-Joseph Céloron de Blainville (1693-1759), who explored the Ohio River Valley in North America, and the American Quaker minister Joseph Oxley (1715-1786), who was instrumental in the establishment of Quaker settlements in Pennsylvania.

Other notable bearers of the surname Joseph throughout history include the British explorer and surveyor Joseph Banks (1743-1820), who accompanied Captain James Cook on his famous voyages, and the American playwright and screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909-1993), known for films such as "All About Eve" and "Cleopatra."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Joseph families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Joseph surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 628 Josephs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.65x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 628 2.65x
Glamorgan 552 13.38x
Surrey 131 1.14x
Lancashire 97 0.35x
Yorkshire 89 0.38x
Warwickshire 76 1.27x
Monmouthshire 74 4.32x
Cardiganshire 61 10.56x
Durham 56 0.79x
Gloucestershire 51 1.10x
Carmarthenshire 50 5.01x
Herefordshire 47 4.84x
Brecknockshire 41 8.66x
Kent 41 0.51x
Radnorshire 40 20.93x
Staffordshire 38 0.48x
Worcestershire 38 1.23x
Montgomeryshire 31 5.71x
Shropshire 29 1.42x
Hampshire 25 0.52x
Pembrokeshire 21 2.79x
Sussex 21 0.53x
Merionethshire 20 4.61x
Denbighshire 19 2.12x
Essex 18 0.39x
Berkshire 15 0.84x
Northumberland 11 0.31x
Lincolnshire 10 0.26x
Somerset 10 0.26x
Anglesey 9 2.14x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.63x
Derbyshire 9 0.24x
Flintshire 8 1.26x
Lanarkshire 6 0.08x
Cornwall 5 0.19x
Devon 5 0.10x
Royal Navy 5 1.77x
Cumberland 4 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.13x
Dorset 3 0.19x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.57x
Isle of Man 3 0.68x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 0.88x
Oxfordshire 3 0.21x
Cheshire 2 0.04x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.05x
Ayrshire 1 0.06x
Banffshire 1 0.20x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Suffolk 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitechapel London in Middlesex leads with 86 Josephs recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.84x.

Place Total Index
Whitechapel London 86 36.84x
Mile End Old Town London 81 16.07x
Spitalfields London 80 44.91x
Kensington London 76 5.77x
Clase 75 48.91x
Paddington London 57 6.55x
Michaelstone Super Avon 42 94.06x
Merthyr Tydfil 39 9.84x
Islington London 38 1.66x
Leeds 38 2.87x
Margam 37 80.45x
Ystradyfodwg 37 10.23x
St George In East London 35 15.71x
Bishopwearmouth 34 5.62x
Birmingham 33 1.66x
Mile End New Town London 31 66.24x
Newington 31 3.54x
Edgbaston 30 16.20x
Lambeth 30 1.45x
Aberdare 26 9.18x
Cheetham 24 11.45x
St Marylebone London 24 1.90x
Cardiff St Mary 23 10.13x
Liverpool 23 1.35x
Llanelly 22 9.79x
Swansea Town 22 6.51x
Briton Ferry 21 42.68x
Rhyndwyclydach 21 73.40x
Bedwellty 20 6.62x
Camberwell 18 1.19x
Cwmdu 17 33.84x
Festiniog 17 18.59x
St Woollos 17 8.90x
Coedfrank 14 49.00x
Llanwonno 14 9.45x
Shoreditch London 14 1.36x
St Martin 14 61.19x
Aston 13 0.79x
Llanrhidian Higher 13 49.62x
Toxteth Park 13 1.37x
West Ham 13 1.26x
Aberystwith 12 24.13x
Bethnal Green London 12 1.17x
Clapham 12 4.05x
Llanblethian 12 204.43x
Llandyssil 12 49.69x
Mawr 12 138.25x
St John Near Swansea 12 23.53x
Brymbo 11 35.30x
Llandaff 11 8.02x
Llantrisant 11 10.58x
Plumstead 11 4.08x
Cardiff St John 10 7.42x
Drypool 10 27.83x
Great Malvern 10 15.50x
Llanelly 10 17.65x
Nether Hallam 10 3.15x
Titley 10 313.48x
Westminster St James 10 4.11x
Ynysawdre 10 150.15x
Cardigan St Mary 9 40.67x
Carmarthen St Peter 9 10.55x
Gloucester St Aldate 9 156.79x
Hambleden 9 73.53x
Knill 9 1184.21x
Llanlleonvel 9 532.54x
Pembrey 9 19.61x
Pool 9 21.99x
Roath 9 4.80x
Southwark Christchurch 9 8.11x
St Dogmells 9 45.00x
St George Bloomsbury 9 6.62x
Darlaston 8 7.24x
Devynnock 8 70.73x
Hope 8 25.25x
Kings Norton 8 2.88x
Newent 8 33.88x
St Botolph Aldgate London 8 16.40x
St Pancras London 8 0.42x
Westoe 8 2.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Joseph surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Joseph surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 103
William 89
David 82
Thomas 70
Joseph 42
Henry 41
Edward 36
James 28
Lewis 22
George 21
Isaac 21
Samuel 21
Charles 17
Richard 15
Abraham 14
Benjamin 14
Morris 14
Arthur 12
Robert 12
Alfred 11
Jacob 11
Alexander 10
Louis 10
Mark 10
Michael 10
Moses 10
Harry 9
Daniel 8
Frederick 8
Moss 8
Owen 8
Frank 7
Evan 6
Morgan 6
Rees 6
Solomon 6
Walter 6
Aaron 5
Emanuel 5
Ernest 5
Herbert 5
Myer 5
Phillip 5
Stephen 5
Tom 5
Wm. 5
Barnett 4
Jenkin 4
Joshua 4
Nathan 4

FAQ

Joseph surname: questions and answers

How common was the Joseph surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,424 people were recorded with the Joseph surname. That placed it at #1,833 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Joseph surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,846 in 2016. That gives Joseph a modern rank of #503.

What does the Joseph surname mean?

A biblical surname referring to the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus, or to a descendent of his lineage.

What does the Joseph map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Joseph bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.