Fun Facts About the Name Josemaria
- 780 babies named Josemaria: U.S. records list 780 babies given the name Josemaria from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Josemaria Mean?
Josemaria is a compound Spanish given name that joins José and María, the Spanish forms of Joseph and Mary. It has no root of its own; its sense is the sense of its two parts, and it names a person in honor of both Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary.
José comes from Hebrew Yosef, a name built on the root yasaf, "to add." Its customary meaning is "may God add" or "God will increase." The name passed into Spanish through Greek Iōsēph and Latin Ioseph.
María comes from Hebrew Miryam, whose meaning is not settled. Proposed explanations include "bitter" (from the Hebrew root mar), "rebellious," and an Egyptian origin meaning "beloved" or "love." The familiar gloss "sea of bitterness" is a later reading that treats the name as mar plus yam ("sea") rather than a demonstrated etymology. Because no explanation has been proved, the second element of Josemaria is best described as of uncertain meaning.
Josemaria Name History & Origins
Placing María after a male name is an old custom in Spain and Latin America, where it marks devotion to the Virgin Mary; José María, Juan María, and similar compounds are common. José María is normally a male name, while the reverse order, María José, is normally female. Portuguese uses the same pattern in José Maria.
Spanish writes the compound with an accent on the í of María, and the joined form keeps that mark: Josemaría. English-language use usually drops the accent and writes Josemaria. The single-word spelling is best known from Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer (1902 - 1975), a Spanish priest who founded Opus Dei and was canonized in 2002; in references to him the name is regularly written as one word.
How Popular is the Name Josemaria?
Josemaria has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2021. Its best rank was #2,714 in 1996.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,616 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2024 | #6,612 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #3,752 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 2022 | #3,569 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2021 | #3,149 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2020 | #4,208 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #3,757 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2018 | #3,935 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2017 | #4,037 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2016 | #5,422 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2015 | #3,824 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2014 | #4,320 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2013 | #3,807 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2012 | #3,750 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2011 | #3,397 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2010 | #3,108 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2009 | #3,971 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 2008 | #3,687 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 2007 | #3,478 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 2006 | #5,187 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #5,430 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #4,887 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #4,517 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #3,612 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2001 | #3,784 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2000 | #5,174 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #5,842 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #3,646 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1997 | #4,565 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #2,714 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1995 | #5,696 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #7,182 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #6,383 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #8,768 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1988 | #6,824 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #5,774 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #5,213 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #4,031 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #4,640 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Josemaria Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Josemaria's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Josemaria's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.