The first name Jose
A boy’s name from Spanish.
Pronounced /hoʊˈzeɪ/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Spanish origin
From Spanish/Portuguese José, from Hebrew. Doublet of Joseph.
Jose is a short form of
.A form of Spanish.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 21 boys were named Jose, making it the 1,307th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2005, with 66 births (#434).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jose with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Jose at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 3,678 boys born in the United States were named Jose, the 95th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2002, when 12,868 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- José
- Yoselyn
Famous people named Jose
519 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- José MartíCuban poet, philosopher and nationalist (1853-1895)
- José de San MartínArgentine general and independence leader (1778–1850)
- José RizalFilipino nationalist, writer and polymath (1861–1896)
- José Ramos-Horta2nd and 5th President of East Timor, Nobel Prize laureate, born 1949
- Joseph BonaparteBrother of Napoleon Bonaparte; King of Naples (1806–08) and Spain (1808–13)
- Joseph EstradaActor and President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001
- José FerrerAmerican actor and director (1912–1992)
- José López Portillo58th President of Mexico, 1920–2004
- José AltafiniBrazilian-Italian footballer, born 1938
- José Figueres FerrerCosta Rican politician (1906–1990)
- Philip José FarmerAmerican writer (1918–2009)
- José de AlencarBrazilian writer (1829–1877)
More Spanish boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Jose mean?
- From Spanish/Portuguese José, from Hebrew. Doublet of Joseph.
- What is the origin of the name Jose?
- From Spanish/Portuguese José, from Hebrew. Doublet of Joseph.
- How popular is the name Jose?
- In 2025, 21 boys born in England and Wales were named Jose, ranking 1,307th. Its peak was 2005, with 66 births.
- Is Jose a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 596,732 US babies named Jose since 1880 were boys.
- When was Jose most popular?
- 2002 in the United States, when 12,868 babies were named Jose, its highest rank at 30th.
- How do you pronounce Jose?
- Jose is /hoʊˈzeɪ/, 2 syllables.
- What name is Jose a form of?
- Jose is a form of Spanish.
- What are other spellings of Jose?
- José and Yoselyn.
- Is Jose also a surname?
- Yes. Jose is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.