Josephine

Josephine is a beautiful name that comes from France. In France, however, there is normally an accent mark over the E to give it a certain emphasis. Now, Josephine has spread throughout the world, with or without the accent mark, even now ranking on the top 100 list.

Meaning of the Name Josephine

Josephine is the feminine version of the Hebrew name Yosef, which in English, translates to Joseph. Josephine, therefore, retains the same meaning of “Jehovah increases.” The most popular use of the name is seen with Empress Josephine du Beauharnais who was married to Napoleon Bonaparte.

Josephine became a popular name in France with the Christian church as it is a variation of the name Joseph. The baby name can still trace its origins to Yosef, which in Hebrew literally translates to “Jehovah increases” or “God will increase.”

Nicknames for Josephine

Josephine feels formal and proud. It is very refined and mature and should be paired with a light and confident nickname. Below, we've compiled a helpful list of possible options when it comes to giving the Josephine in your life a fun and unique nickname.

• Jo
• Josie 
• Joetta
• Jojo
• Fifi
• Joey 
• Joja
• Josa

Josephine Name Details

Style: Traditional

Gender: Josephine is traditionally considered to be a girls name.

Pronunciation: JO-se-feen

Syllables: Three

Alternative Spelling for Josephine

• Gosefine
• Josefine
• Gosephine
• Josefinne
• Josephinne

Josephine Name Popularity

The baby name Josephine was a top 50 name until 1930 and a top 100 name until 1941. It declined in the mid-twentieth century, but in 2018, the name ascended back to the top 100 list. As of 2020, Josephine is number 86 for girls.

Related Names for Josephine

• Florence 
• Adelaide 
• Genevieve 
• Margaret 
• Evangeline 
• Cordelia 
• Penelope 

Great Middle Names for Josephine and Their Meanings

• Pearl (smooth round bead)
• Evelyn (wished for child)
• Elizabeth (God is my oath)
• Blair (plain, field)
• Noelle (Christmas)
• Marigold (resplendent Mary)
• Harley (rock, wood, clearing)
• Cora (honest, virtuous, good)
• Maisie (pearl)

Famous People Named Josephine

• Josephine Butler (feminist from England)
• Josephine Foster (folk singer)
• Josephine Baker (singer, dancer, actress, “ZouZou”)
• Josephine Ruffin (journalist in America)
• Josephine Peabody (writer, “The Book of the Little Past”)
• Josephine Niblo (actress, dancer)
• Josephine Skriver (professional model)

Josephine in Popular Culture

• Josephine March (character from “Little Women”)
• Josephine McCoy (main character from “Josie and the Pussycats”)
• Josephine Potter (character from “Dawson's Creek”)
• Josephine LaRue (character from “The Originals”)
• Josephine Wilson (character from “Grey's Anatomy”)
• Josephine Barry (character from “Anne of Green Gables”)
• Josephine Anwhistle (character from “A Series of Unfortunate Events”)