Joseph's name means he will add — Rachel named him praying, the LORD shall add to me another son. Sold by jealous brothers into Egypt, imprisoned on a lie, he rose to rule the land and to save his family from famine. His verdict over their betrayal is one of Scripture's summits: ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.
The name honours two great Josephs: the patriarch, and Joseph the husband of Mary — a just man who obeyed the angel's word and raised the child Jesus as his own. Both are models of quiet integrity.
Joseph is a perennial favourite across cultures and faiths, timeless and gentle, with the easy nickname Joe.
Variants & nicknames
Joe, Joey, Josef, Yusuf, Giuseppe
Joseph in the Bible
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.