Given name & surname
Josie
“God will add”·“God shall add”
Josie is a variant of Josephine. In Hebrew use, Josephine carries the interpretation “God will add.” In Scottish use, Josie is an affectionate 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
Josie is a variant of Josephine. In Hebrew use, Josephine carries the interpretation “God will add.” In Scottish use, Josie is an affectionate form of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Scottish use, Josie is an affectionate form of Joseph. Joseph is the English and French form of the Hebrew name Yosef.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Josie is used as an affectionate form of Josephine. In Scottish use, Josie is used as an affectionate form of Joseph. In Scottish use, Josie is an affectionate 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 Scottish use, Josie is an affectionate 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
Josie through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 75,915
- 545 boys · 75,370 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 3,027 babies
- 2025
- 3,027
- #82 for girls · #11,295 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +55%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 3,021 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 82 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 55.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 6 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (233). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 46,382 as a first name in 2020; 353 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Josie’s family of names
Josie is an affectionate form of Joseph. Josie has a related form in Josephine. In English usage, Josie is a diminutive of Josephine.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Josie
- Josie MaranAmerican model, actress, and entrepreneur (born 1978)
- Josie LorenAmerican actressborn 1987
- Josie BissettAmerican actressborn 1970
- Josie KnightIrish now UK cyclistborn 1997
- Josie TotahAmerican actressborn 2001
- Josie BaffAustralian snowboarder (born 2003)
- Josie DavisAmerican actress, writer, and producerborn 1973
- Josie HoHong Kong singerborn 1974
- Josie SedgwickAmerican actress (1898-1973)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Josie, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Joie
“God shall add” · “God will add”
>99% girls
Chana
“having favor and grace”
>99% girls
Josée
“God shall add”
>99% girls
Joslin
“God shall add” · “from the tribe of Gauts”
>99% girls
Joosepe
“God shall add”
—
Josèphe
“God shall add”
>99% girls
Joséphine
“God shall add”
>99% girls
Jozka
“God shall add”
—