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Josephine as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Josephine

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The baby name Josephine is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced JOH-zə-feen (IPA: /ˈdʒoʊzəfiːn/).

Josephine is French, Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: French, Hebrew
Pronunciation: JOH-zə-feen (IPA: /ˈdʒoʊzəfiːn/)

What is the meaning of the name Josephine ?

The baby name Josephine is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced JOH-zə-feen (IPA: /ˈdʒoʊzəfiːn/).

Josephine is French, Hebrew in Origin.

Josephine is the French feminine form of Joseph, ultimately from Hebrew Yosef meaning "he will add/increase," a theophoric hope that God will grant further offspring. Through Greek Ioseph and Latin Iosephus, it became French Joséphine and entered English in the 18th century.

Its rise was propelled by Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), and it stayed a genteel staple in the Anglophone world through the Victorian era, later revived as a vintage classic. Notable bearers include entertainer Josephine Baker, crime novelist Josephine Tey, and Saint Josephine Bakhita. International variants include Joséphine (French), Josefine/Josefin (German, Scandinavian), Josefina/Josefa (Spanish, Portuguese), Giuseppina (Italian), Józefina/Józefa (Polish), Jozefien (Dutch), and Jozefina (various Slavic languages). Diminutives and short forms include Josie, Jo, Joey, Posey/Posy, Fifi, Fine, and Sephie. The meaning evokes increase, abundance, and blessing, while the name carries a poised, pan-European classicism.

Josephine has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Josephine

Josephine Baker Actor · Born 1906 · United States Josephine Baker was an American-born entertainer who became famous for her performances in Paris during the 1920s. She was known for her role in the Folies Bergère and her iconic banana skirt dance. Beyond her stage career, she was also a civil rights activist and worked with the French Resistance during World War II. Josephine Langford Actor · Born 1997 · Australia Josephine Langford is an Australian actor best known for her role as Tessa Young in the 'After' film series. Born in 1997, she has gained recognition for her performances in these romantic drama films. Josephine Hutchinson Actor · Born 1903 · United States Josephine Hutchinson was an American actress best known for her role in the film 'Son of Frankenstein' where she played Elsa von Frankenstein. She also appeared in 'North by Northwest' and had a successful career in both film and television during the mid-20th century.
Joséphine Jobert Actor · Born 1985 · France Joséphine Jobert is a French actress best known for her role as Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell in the popular TV series 'Death in Paradise'. She has also appeared in the French series 'Sous le soleil de Saint-Tropez' and 'Cut!'. Joséphine Japy Actor · Born 1994 · France Joséphine Japy is a French actress best known for her role in the film 'The New Girlfriend'. Born in 1994, she has also appeared in 'Cloclo' and 'Respire', showcasing her versatility and talent in the French cinema scene. Josephine Bornebusch Actor · Born 1981 · Sweden Josephine Bornebusch is a Swedish actor best known for her role in the popular TV series 'Solsidan'. She has also appeared in 'Welcome to Sweden' and has worked as a writer and director.

Celebrity babies named Josephine

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Josephine Chaplin Charlie Chaplin film director ★★★★★

Josephine – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
FJ 0 #6 1 374
MT Girls 0 #7 420 3,773
FJ Girls 0 #8 2 583
KR 0 #8 1 201
BI 0 #11 2 425
BF Girls 0 #17 1 315
BW 0 #18 2 960
NA 0 #20 14 2,537
HT Girls 0 #22 2 950
PH Girls 0 #25 842 13,098
BI Girls 0 #27 7 726
BN 0 #28 5 2,297
MO 0 #30 23 2,706
NA Girls 0 #30 355 7,146
MT 0 #33 11 1,767
ID 0 #36 4 2,238
GH Girls 0 #50 1,056 6,973
CM 0 #52 5 2,592
United States Girls 2024 #56 3,746 8,487
CY 0 #58 3 1,632
NG Girls 0 #58 5,006 15,093
PH 0 #64 33 5,607
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
SG Girls 0 #76 1,353 18,916
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
BN Girls 0 #77 30 5,459
ID Girls 0 #80 19 3,319
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
CN 0 #81 6 3,857
TW 0 #82 19 4,523
BW Girls 0 #83 69 4,216
Canada Girls 2024 #86 261 2,795
QA 0 #87 14 7,011
CM Girls 0 #88 1,189 11,671
JM 0 #91 3 3,714
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
MO Girls 0 #98 179 7,056
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
DK Girls 0 #103 386 7,429
GH 0 #104 168 5,396
OM 0 #106 11 6,215
KW Girls 0 #108 606 19,177
Norway Girls 2025 #110 17 453
Switzerland Girls 2024 #110 26 1,786
CY Girls 0 #110 12 3,755
SG 0 #114 176 11,010
KW 0 #116 6 5,216
QA Girls 0 #122 211 15,378
HK Girls 0 #129 1,269 16,104
GR 0 #133 3 3,911
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
DK 0 #134 74 5,198
RS Girls 0 #136 2 1,651
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
JO 0 #139 2 2,158
PR Girls 0 #152 10 3,171
NG 0 #153 114 5,926
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
OM Girls 0 #159 258 15,987
CR 0 #160 6 5,526
AE 0 #162 16 10,220
AE Girls 0 #164 482 20,968
MY 0 #164 180 12,352
HK 0 #166 216 8,483
Sweden Girls 2022 #167 13 1,568
LU Girls 0 #171 15 4,850
MT Boys 0 #176 4 4,064
SI Girls 0 #176 2 2,769
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
TW Girls 0 #188 92 8,139
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
MY Girls 0 #202 1,753 24,821
Belgium Girls 1995 #205 24 429
AO Girls 0 #211 7 4,575
JM Girls 0 #215 45 7,507
JP Girls 0 #218 28 6,592
GR Girls 0 #220 23 6,293
PS 0 #222 5 5,692
NA Boys 0 #225 11 6,830
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
MO Boys 0 #232 3 5,842
SA 0 #246 50 10,560
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
LB 0 #276 557 13,263
SA Girls 0 #277 958 25,931
IL 0 #278 5 6,291
CN Girls 0 #287 63 8,829
HR Girls 0 #287 8 3,687
ZA Girls 0 #291 2,108 25,928
JO Girls 0 #292 34 7,570
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
SD Girls 0 #312 34 7,678
Germany Girls 0 #317 873 4,949
GH Boys 0 #325 21 8,138
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
NL 0 #334 58 2,481
CZ Girls 0 #347 5 5,378
Germany 0 #355 84 2,542
MU Girls 0 #355 8 8,539
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
PL Girls 0 #361 4 5,096
Finland Girls 0 #362 30 1,368
PH Boys 0 #368 16 11,440
Austria Girls 0 #379 42 1,885
BH 0 #384 170 17,937
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
EG 0 #391 10 6,387
France Girls 2021 #392 14 3,185
YE 0 #394 5 8,639
ZA 0 #397 51 14,421
NL Girls 0 #403 757 5,933
BD Girls 0 #404 3 8,413
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
CL 0 #432 3 6,867
Spain 0 #436 17 2,326
PS Girls 0 #438 86 10,981
PT Girls 0 #440 12 7,952
MX 0 #442 4 8,339
PA Girls 0 #464 18 9,861
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
RU Girls 0 #473 26 11,913
CM Boys 0 #493 58 12,054
GT Girls 0 #496 10 7,500
CR Girls 0 #502 31 11,342
CO 0 #508 3 7,768
IQ Girls 0 #521 5 11,303
LY 0 #521 15 12,703
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
IL Girls 0 #533 85 11,648
UY Girls 0 #533 4 6,731
IR Girls 0 #542 4 8,334
IT Girls 0 #542 1,609 9,415
HK Boys 0 #550 8 12,905
IN Girls 0 #598 34 13,121
IT 0 #610 105 4,183
Finland Girls 2026 #619 122 3,895
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
BO Girls 0 #648 4 9,488
SY 0 #659 70 11,684
SG Boys 0 #735 5 17,960
QA Boys 0 #738 6 18,093
KW Boys 0 #756 14 18,755
TN 0 #807 23 13,765
Spain Girls 0 #809 175 5,561
EG Girls 0 #814 146 14,742
CL Girls 0 #827 25 14,098
NG Boys 0 #863 89 16,906
OM Boys 0 #872 10 17,948
United States Boys 2023 #894 5 7,053
EG Boys 0 #922 4 15,035
PE Girls 0 #926 18 14,861
BR Girls 0 #989 4 12,708
MA 0 #1,093 36 20,986
MY Boys 0 #1,097 15 25,439
MX Girls 0 #1,098 86 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,134 45 25,619
AE Boys 0 #1,138 6 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,144 9 16,140
DZ 0 #1,161 16 20,130
TR 0 #1,198 14 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,462 10 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,585 30 28,008

Josephine is popular in 88 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Josephine

Josephine is predominantly a girl's name.
Josephine is a 3 syllable name, pronounced JOH-zə-feen (IPA: /ˈdʒoʊzəfiːn/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Joséphine, Josephina, Josefina, Josefa, Josepha and Josefine.
Across languages, Josephine has these equivalents: Joséphine (French), Giuseppina (Italian), Josefina / Josefa (Spanish, Portuguese), Josefine (German, Scandinavian), Józefina (Polish), and 1 more.
Yes, very popular — Josephine ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Josephine ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Josephine's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 8 notable people named Josephine are in our database, including Josephine Baker (Actor), Josephine Langford (Actor), Josephine Hutchinson (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Josephine for their child, including Charlie Chaplin.