Joseph

A coat of many colors, a carpenter's workshop in Nazareth, a dreamer sold into Egypt who rose to feed a kingdom — Joseph is one of those names the Bible returns to when it wants a man of quiet competence. From the Hebrew Yosef, "he will add," suggesting increase and blessing. For nearly a century Joseph lived in the American top twenty; today it sits at rank 32, still one of the most enduring boys' names in the country. Two plainspoken syllables with a long middle vowel. The nickname bench is deep — Joe, Joey, Pepe, Beppe, Yusuf — which means the name travels easily across cultures.