Name Analysis

Find out what the names “Joe,” “Joseph” and “Michael” mean.

Joe
Origin: English
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: joh
Meaning: -

It is of English origin. Short form of Joseph. Joemar is occasionally used as a blend of Joseph and Mary. Joe is a very common first name for men (#51 out of 1220) and also a very common last name for both men and women. Most commonly used in English speaking countries.

Joseph
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: JOE-zuf
Meaning: He will enlarge

It is of Hebrew origin, and its meaning is “Jehovah increases”. Biblical: the son of Jacob who, sold by his brothers into slavery, rose to become a supreme power in Egypt. Joseph is a very common first name for men (#9 out of 1220) and also a very common last name for both men and women. This variant of the name is used mostly in English, French and German-speaking countries. Diminutives of Joseph include: Joe and Joey for males, and Jo for females. It is sometimes abbreviated as Jos. The name has enjoyed significant popularity in its many forms in numerous countries, and is especially common in contemporary Israel, as either “Yosi” or “Yosef”.

In the Old Testament, Joseph is Jacob’s eleventh son and Rachel’s first. In the New Testament, Joseph is the husband of the virgin Mary. In the New Testament there is another Joseph as well, Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus who supplied the tomb in which Jesus was buried.

Michael
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Masculine
Pronounced: MYE-kal
Meaning: Who resembles God?

Michael is a given name that comes from Hebrew origin. The name first appears in the Bible, Numbers 13:13, where Sethur the son of Michael is one of twelve spies sent into the Land of Canaan. The Archangel Michael, referred to later in the Bible (Daniel 12:1), is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. 29 September is the feast day of the three archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

Michael is a popular name in the United States, and has been the first or second most popular name given to male babies in the U.S. for each year since 1954. It is in the top 50 most popular boys’ names in England and Wales. The name has been popular in Orthodox Christian countries, and was borne by several rulers of the Byzantine and Russian Empires. In recent years, Michael has been the most popular name in the Philippines, the second most popular name in Finland (Mikael) and ranks among the top ten names in Denmark (Mikkel) and Ireland. It is the 23rd most popular name in Canada, and the 37th most popular in Mexico (in the form of ‘Miguel’).