Josephine
Josephine is a female name. It is the English version of the French name Joséphine, itself a female variant of the name Joseph, which is ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "he shall add/grow".
Meaning & Origin of Josephine
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Josephine is a female name. It is the English version of the French name Joséphine, itself a female variant of the name Joseph, which is ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "he shall add/grow".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Josephine
Josephine first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 544 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 8,682 Josephines were born — ranking #24 that year. As of 2026, Josephine ranks #56 for baby girls with 3,769 births, rising sharply (+16% over the past five years). In total, more than 335K Josephines have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Josephine
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium (1927–2005), Princess of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
- Josephine of Leuchtenberg (1807–1876), Queen of Sweden
- Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763–1814), Empress of France, Queen Consort of Italy, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte
- Princess Joséphine of Lorraine (1753–1797), Princess of Carignano
- Josephine of Rosenborg (1942–2013), Countess, member of Denmark's Royal Family
- Princess Josephine of Baden (1813–1900), Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
- Princess Joséphine Caroline of Belgium (1872–1958), wife of Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern
- Princess Josephine of Denmark (born 2011), Danish princess
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Josephine
Phonetically similar names — useful when Josephine is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Josephine
What does the name Josephine mean?
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About the name Josephine
Josephine is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 335K births in the dataset. Josephine's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #21. Use the chart and map above to compare Josephine's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.