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Josephine

girl name
Origin
Hebrew
Syllables
3
Peak era
2020s
Today
▲ Rising

Torn between Josephine and another name? Compare them side by side →

Meaning

“Jehovah increases”

Goes by Fifi, Fina, Gigi, Jo. See all nicknames

Also written Joséphine.

Famously borne by Josephine Tey, built by Elizabeth MacKintosh from her mother's first name and a great-great-grandmother's surname. Famously borne by Empress Joséphine, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Josephine's name day is February 8, the feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita in the Roman calendar of saints.

The story

Josephine is the feminine of Joseph, Hebrew for 'he will add', and it arrived in the world's ear through one woman: Josephine de Beauharnais, crowned empress of France beside Napoleon in 1804. A century later the name was everywhere in America, a fixture of the 1890s and 1900s, the era that gave us great-aunt Jo and little Josie. It then spent two generations resting, never quite gone, before beginning one of the clearest revivals in the modern records: climbing steadily from the 2000s until, by the 2020s, both its share and its ranking stood higher than they had in a hundred years. The Church added its own bearer along the way: Josephine Bakhita, born in Darfur, sold into slavery as a child, freed in Italy, canonized in 2000 and honored each February 8. Vintage charm in front, iron underneath: that mix is the whole appeal.

More names with stories →

Josephine across languages

One shared root links 8 names across 4 languages.

Shared root: from Hebrew Yosef "he will add", the dreamer with the coat

The constellation

JosephineFrench · feminine formJosephEnglishJosefGermanJoséSpanish

More branches

JoeEnglish · short formJoesphEnglish · variantJosefinaSpanish · feminine formJosephinaEnglish · variant

Ways to honor Joseph →

How popular is Josephine around the world?

In the United States, 20,981 babies were named Josephine between 2020 and 2025.

Josephine is on the official records of the United States, Austria, Canada, Norway, England and Wales, Scotland, New Zealand, South Australia, Ireland, Poland, France, Chile, Spain, Mexico City and Brazil.

United States

1 in 1,000

In the United States, 20,981 babies were named Josephine between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 2020s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Josephine peaked in the 2020s.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Austria

1 in 1,200

In Austria, 64 girls named Josephine were born in 2025, the 105th most common name among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 2022

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

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Canada

1 in 1,400

In Canada, 261 girls named Josephine were born in 2024, the 89th most common name among girls that year.

1991peak 2021

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

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Norway

1 in 1,600 · register 2026

In Norway, 17 girls were given the name Josephine in 2025.

1945peak 2016

share of the girls on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure

People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)

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England and Wales

1 in 3,200

In England and Wales, 182 girls named Josephine were born in 2025, the 256th most common name among girls that year.

peak 19992025

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

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Scotland

1 in 3,800

In Scotland, 12 girls named Josephine were registered in 2024, the 295th most common name among girls that year.

peak 19752024

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

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New Zealand

1 in 4,100

In New Zealand, 14 girls named Josephine were registered in 2025.

1900peak 19402025

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

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South Australia

1 in 4,600 · 2017

In South Australia, 4 girls were registered as Josephine in 2017.

peak 19442017

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

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Ireland

1 in 7,700

In Ireland, 7 girls named Josephine were born in 2025, the 483rd most common name among girls that year.

peak 19642025

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

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Poland

1 in 31,000

In Poland, 8 girls named Josephine were born in 2025, the 381st most common name among girls that year.
The count never rose above 8 in a year, too few to chart.

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. This registry counts each spelling separately; the figures above are for the exact spelling Josephine, and accented spellings are separate names. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

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France

1 in 43,000

In France, about 15 girls named Josephine were born in 2025, ranked 2,301st among girls that year.

peak 19002025

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. This registry counts each spelling separately; the figures above are for the exact spelling Josephine, and accented spellings are separate names. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

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Chile

1 in 59,000

In Chile, 3 girls were registered as Josephine in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.
The count never rose above 6 in a year, too few to chart.

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

See the full list for Chile →

Spain

1 in 85,000

In Spain, 525 residents are named Josephine, ranked 2,216th among women, with a mean age of 50.5 years.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

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Mexico City City

1 in 120,000

In Mexico City, there was 1 registration of Josephine in 2022.

2000peak 20072022

share of that year’s registrations in the city

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023, a partial extract through 3 Mar with no cell on record for this name, is excluded. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

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Argentina

last on record 2023

Josephine is not on the 2024 record for Argentina, where small counts are withheld at source.
The count never rose above 7 in a year, too few to chart.

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

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Brazil

At the 2022 census, 68 people in Brazil were named Josephine, ranked 53,986th, with a median age of 50.

People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

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Montevideo City

last on record 1997

Josephine is not on the 2011 record for Montevideo, whose registry withholds nothing, so the spelling was not given there that year.
The count never rose above 1 in a year, too few to chart.

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

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New South Wales

outside the top 100

Josephine is not in the 2025 top 100 for New South Wales.

2010peak 20162025

share of that year’s top-100 registrations

New South Wales (not all of Australia) publishes only each year’s 100 most popular names per sex, so a missing year means below that top 100, not rare. Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, popular baby names

See the full list for New South Wales →

Puerto Rico

last on record 2014

Josephine is not on the 2025 record for Puerto Rico, which withholds births under 5, and 10 babies have carried the name there since 1998.
The count never rose above 5 in a year, too few to chart.

First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)

See the full list for Puerto Rico →

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Josephine

People given the name Josephine in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1950 to 2019. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Josephine

Charlotte Isabella Elizabeth Sadie Eleanor Emma

Keep exploring

Names like Josephine · Names that go with Josephine · Nicknames for Josephine · Middle names for Josephine · Pen names and the names writers chose · Saint names for babies and confirmation · Names of real princesses

Name trails: explore connections from Josephine →

The Josephine deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Josephine truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Josephine fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

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