Jose
Jose was the 95th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,678 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 28th; the most babies were born in 2002 (12,868). Over the last ten years it has moved down 15 places. More babies were named Jose in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning God will add (Spanish form of Joseph) · Spanish, Hebrew
Say it hoh-ZAY /hoʊˈzeɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #95 boys, down 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,678boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200212,868 babies
- Total since 1880
- 596,732babies recorded
What does the name Jose mean?
José is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Joseph, usually written without the accent in US records. Joseph comes from Hebrew Yosef, which DMNES glosses 'God will increase'; in Genesis 30:24 Rachel names her son with the wish that God will add another son to her. The name honors both the patriarch Joseph and Saint Joseph, husband of Mary. Wiktionary lists Pepe, Pepito and Joselito among its Spanish pet forms, and Josefa as the feminine.
José (Spanish, “Joseph”)יוֹסֵף (Biblical Hebrew, “Yosef, he will add”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Pronunciation: Spanish José is said hoh-SEH, with the stress on the second syllable.
Related names: José, Joseph, Josué, Pepe.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jose', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'José', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joseph', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 30:24, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
Nicknames for Jose
The usual nicknames for Jose are Pepe.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepe · traditional Spanish pet form | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Joses go by each one.
Jose popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 4,220 since 1891.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #95 | 3,678 |
| 2020 | #94 | 3,855 |
| 2010 | #52 | 7,703 |
| 2000 | #34 | 12,585 |
| 1990 | #41 | 11,519 |
| 1980 | #46 | 8,323 |
| 1970 | #56 | 5,691 |
| 1960 | #107 | 3,915 |
| 1950 | #109 | 2,638 |
| 1940 | #148 | 1,169 |
| 1930 | #113 | 1,600 |
| 1920 | #130 | 1,241 |
| 1910 | #134 | 249 |
| 1900 | #137 | 161 |
| 1890 | #151 | 93 |
| 1880 | #161 | 84 |
How popular is Jose, counting every spelling?
Jose has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #104 for boys in 2025, against #95 on the official list, because Kayden/Kaiden/Caden and Nicholas/Nicolas and Elliot/Elliott/Eliot move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Jose?
3,678 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jose (1.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jose born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jose.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jose?
About 511,600 people born in the US named Jose are alive today, with a median age of 32; half are between 21 and 46. That makes Jose mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jose by state
How common Jose was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (2.7×), Arizona (2.5×), New Mexico (2.5×), California (1.8×), Nevada (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Hawaii, North Dakota, Ohio.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jose: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jose, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jose · Sibling names for Jose
Questions about the name Jose
What does Jose mean?
Jose means “God will add (Spanish form of Joseph)” (Spanish, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jose?
Jose was the 95th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,678 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 28th; the most babies were born in 2002 (12,868). Over the last ten years it has moved down 15 places. More babies were named Jose in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Jose a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jose in the US.
Where is Jose most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jose was most common in Texas (5.97 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arizona and New Mexico.