Josephine

Josephine - A unique female name

Josephine appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #30. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Josephine and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Josephine? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Josephine. The baby girl name Josephine was given to 4,116 baby girls in 2025, ranking #53 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 317 baby girls were given this name - making this a unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Josephine peaked in popularity 110 years ago in 1916 on position 21.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Josephine, 1-5?

Josephine is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Josephine is currently topping the baby name charts in District of Columbia at position #12 - and is the least popular in Mississippi at position #256.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Josephine is where you live.

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Josephine origin and meaning

French — feminine form of Joseph

"He will add" — Josephine is the French feminine of Joseph, from Hebrew Yosef

Josephine spread across Europe after Joséphine de Beauharnais became Napoleon's empress. In America it peaked in 1918, faded, and has climbed back steadily in the vintage revival.

Attested etymology

Josephine is a 9 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Josephine, pop culture references for the name Josephine and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Josephine

We've found the following names that sound similar to Josephine, sorted by popularity.

Josefina / Jovanna / Josephina / Jovana / Jovan / Josiephine / Josefine / Javon / Javonna / Jobina /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Josephine

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Josephine a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Josephine?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

JOH-seh-feen · /ˈdʒoʊsəfiːn/

Around the world

• Joséphine (French) — The French form.
• Josefina (Spanish) — The Spanish form.
• Josefine (German) — The German form.

Spellings and nicknames

• Josefine — The German/Scandinavian spelling.

Nicknames: JosieJoPosey

Famous bearers

• Joséphine Bonaparte — First wife of Napoleon and Empress of France, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie and known as Joséphine (1763–1814) Historical
• Josephine Baker — American-born French entertainer and civil-rights activist (1906–1975) Historical

Style

ClassicRoyalInternationalVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Josephine for a grand, romantic full name that offers easy everyday options — Josie for sweetness, Jo for edge.

Worth knowing

• At four spoken beats in a hurry it almost always shortens; decide which nickname you prefer before others choose one.