Given name & surname
Josephine
“God will add”·“God shall add”
In English use, Josephine is a feminine form of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Hebrew use, Josephine carries the interpretation “God will add.” In English use, Josephine is a feminine form of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English use, Josephine is used as a form of Joséphine. Josephine is used as a feminine counterpart of Joseph. In English use, Josephine is a feminine form of Joseph. The shared background comes through Joseph: The English and French name continues the biblical Hebrew form Yosef. The idea of adding is part of the name’s original family context, rather than a later personality interpretation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Josephine is a feminine form of Joseph. The history of Joseph gives this family its wider story. In Genesis, Joseph is Jacob’s son who is taken to Egypt and later reconciled with his brothers. In the New Testament, Joseph is also the husband of Mary, giving the name a distinct place in Christian tradition.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Josephine through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 332,458
- 991 boys · 331,467 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 8,709 babies
- 2025
- 4,126
- #53 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +21%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 4,126 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 53 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 20.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 8,682 in 1918. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (313). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 123,986 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Josephine’s family of names
In English usage, Josephine has a diminutive in Jose. In English usage, Josephine is a feminine form of Joseph. In English usage, Josephine has a related form in Joe.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Josephine has relatives in 22 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
38 related names in 22 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 37
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Josediminutive · English
- Josiediminutive · English
- Joeydiminutive · French, English
- Joevariant · English
- Josephinavariant · English
- Josettevariant
- Joseyshort form · English
- Joiediminutive · English
Show 29 moreShow fewer
- Joshort form · English
- Josefinevariant · Danish, German
- Josefavariant · Spanish
- Posypet form
- Zeffiediminutive · English
- Josydiminutive · English
- Jozydiminutive · English
- Josinadiminutive · Dutch
- Joseevariant
- Josettavariant
- Josephynevariant
- Josephenevariant
- Josephevariant
- Josephavariant
- Fifipet form
- Josephinnelikely variant
- Fiendiminutive · gmw-ecg
- Sepinshort form · ceb
- Josiendiminutive · Dutch
- Piendiminutive · Dutch
- Jozsavariant
- Josebevariant
- Joxepavariant
- Josephynavariant
- Josejinevariant
- Josejinavariant
- Josefenevariant
- Josejenavariant
- Josèphefull form · English
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 33
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Josephmasculine form · English
- JosefinaPortuguese, Spanish
- Giuseppinacognate · Italian
- Josephinequivalent
- Jozefinaequivalent
- Iosephinaequivalent
- Йозефинаequivalent
- Jozefinoequivalent
Show 25 moreShow fewer
- Йосипаequivalent
- Жозефинаequivalent
- Josefínaequivalent
- Josefienequivalent
- Iosèequivalent
- Iosephaequivalent
- ЖозефинRussian
- ДжозефинRussian
- Djôzefenecognate · Walloon
- JózefinaPolish
- Joséphinesource · French
- Jósefínaborrowing · Icelandic
- Iosepinerelated form
- Yosebarelated form
- JosefinSwedish
- JozefínaSlovak
- Джо́зефинRussian
- Жозефи́наRussian
- IosefinaRomanian
- SeosaimhínIrish
- XosefinaGalician
- XosefaGalician
- JosefiinaFinnish
- JozefinëAlbanian
- Seosaimhincognate
People named Josephine
- Josephine BakerAmerican-born French dancer, singer and actress (1906–1975)
- Joséphine de BeauharnaisEmpress consort of the French from 1804 to 1814 (1763-1814)
- Josephine HullAmerican stage and film actress (1877-1957)
- Edna O'BrienIrish writer (1930–2024)
- Estée LauderAmerican businesswoman (1906–2004)1908–2004
- Josephine BakhitaSudanese saint and former slave1868–1947
- Josephine ButlerBritish feminist and social reformer fighting to end child prostitution (1828–1906)
- Josephine of LeuchtenbergQueen of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to 18591807–1876
- Josephine CochraneAmerican inventor (1839–1913)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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