Contents [hide]

Joseph History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland Australia New Zealand United States

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Sources

Joseph History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

Etymology of Joseph

What does the name Joseph mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Joseph comes from the baptismal name for the son of Joseph.

"Many of the modern directory Josephs are of Jewish extraction, but there are also a fair number of Josephs who have a purely English descent." 1

Early Origins of the Joseph family

The surname Joseph was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the Latin form Josephus was recorded. 2 Later in Norfolk, Joseph (no forename) was listed at Holme (1141-1149) and later in Lincolnshire in 1187. In Herefordshire, Umfridus filius Josep was found there in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1205 and then William Joseph was entered in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1191 and in the Curia Regis Rolls for Suffolk in 1205. 3

Joseph of Exeter, in Latin Joseph Iscanus (fl. 1190), was a mediæval "Latin poet, was, as he tells us himself, a native of Exeter, being the fellow-townsman and lifelong friend of Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury." 4

Early History of the Joseph family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Joseph research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1205, 1273, 1754, 1764, 1784, 1788, 1790, 1792, 1797, 1811, 1812, 1813, 1815, 1846 and 1850 are included under the topic Early Joseph History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Joseph Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Joseph were recorded, including Joseph, Josephs, Josephson and others.

Early Notables of the Joseph family

George Francis Joseph (1764-1846), Irish painter. He is said to be a native of Dublin, was born 25 Nov. 1764. He became a student at the Royal Academy in 1784, and in 1792 gained the gold medal for a...
Samuel Joseph (1790-1850), the English sculptor, is said to have been son of the treasurer of St. John's College, Cambridge, although the college registers give no authority for the statement. He was...

Joseph World Ranking

the United Kingdom, the name Joseph is the 891^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,687 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Joseph is ranked the 579^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,686 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Joseph is the 552^nd popular surname with an estimated 1,273 people with that name. 7 Canada ranks Joseph as 415^th with 11,209 people. 8 Quebec, Canada ranks Joseph as 305^th. 9 The United States ranks Joseph as 384^th with 72,123 people. 10 France ranks Joseph as 614^th with 7,706 people. 11 South Africa ranks Joseph as 321^st with 20,802 people. 12

Migration of the Joseph family to Ireland

Some of the Joseph family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Joseph migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Second Fleet

Mr. William Joseph, British settler convicted in Yorkshire, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Matilda" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 13

Third Fleet

Mr. Paul Joseph, British seaman on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788, he deserted at Rio in 1787

Following the Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Joseph Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Udin Joseph, (b. 1806), aged 13, English seaman who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), listed as absconded 14
Mr. Philip Joseph, (Josephs, Moses), (b. 1798), aged 22, British Hawker who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" on 5th July 1820, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1855 15
Moses Joseph, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 16
Louis Joseph, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "John Bartlett" in 1847 17
William Joseph, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hooghly" in 1848 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Joseph migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Joseph Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Hyam Joseph, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Exporter
Jacob Joseph, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Exporter
Moses Joseph, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Samuel Joseph, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1843
Israel Joseph, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Joseph migration to the United States +

Joseph Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Evan Joseph, who arrived in Virginia in 1639 19
Bonaventure Joseph, who settled in America around 1658

Joseph Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jurig Joseph, who arrived in New York in 1709 19
Tobias Joseph, who landed in South Carolina in 1741 19
Georg Henrich Joseph, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 19
Captain Joseph to Boston in 1768
Henry Joseph to America in 1772

Joseph Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Salomon Joseph, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 19
Eugène Joseph, who arrived in New Orleans in 1822
Clemontina Joseph, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1826 19
Nikolaus Joseph, who arrived in America in 1833 19
Philip Joseph, who arrived in New York in 1836 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Joseph Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Hermann Joseph, who arrived in Arkansas in 1903 19
William Henry Joseph, who landed in Alabama in 1920 19

Contemporary Notables of the name Joseph (post 1700) +

Jane Joseph (1942-2025), English artist recognized for her contributions to painting, printmaking, and drawing, two series of her etchings are held in the permanent collection at the British Museum, Leverhulme Travelling Award (1965–66), Abbey Award in Painting (1991, 1995)
Francis Joseph (1960-2022), English footballer who played as a forward (1980-1995)
Jenny Joseph (1932-2018), English multiple award winning poet from Birmingham, recipient of 1960 Gregory Award, 1974 Cholmondeley Award, 1986 James Tait Black Memorial Prize and 1999 Fellowship of the Royal Society of Literature
Mr. Adrian Christopher Joseph O.B.E. (b. 1963), British Partner for Artificial Intelligence, Analytics and Big Data,appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Equality and to Diversity in Business 20
Mario Joseph (1962-2025), Haitian human rights lawyer (1996-2025), led the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux in Port-au-Prince, representing political prisoners, impoverished communities, and victims of political violence, The New York Times called Joseph "Haiti's most prominent human rights lawyer"
Jefferson-Lee Joseph (b. 2002), French rugby union player
Johny Joseph (1952-2023), Indian actor in Malayalam cinema with the stage name Kundara Johny
Carlos Joseph (1980-2021), American professional football offensive tackle for the Miami Hurricanes
James A. Joseph (1935-2023), American diplomat, born in Plaisance, Louisiana, President of the Cummins Engine Foundation from 1971-1976, , U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, 1995-1999
... (Another 49 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Joseph Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Cas ni charo y wlad a'i mago
Motto Translation: Loathed be he that loveth not his native land

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN BARTLETT 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847JohnBartlett.gif
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HOOGHLY 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Hooghly.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists