Sjef

Sjef is a Dutch given name functioning as a regional diminutive of Josef, itself the Dutch form of Joseph, which derives from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning he will add or God will increase. The name belongs to the same broad family as Josef, Joseph, José, Giuseppe, and Yusuf, all tracing back to the biblical patriarch Joseph, son of Jacob. Sjef is particularly associated with the southern Dutch province of Noord-Brabant and the Limburg region, where it remains a familiar colloquial short form.