Fun Facts About the Name Josephine
- Back among the favorites: Josephine returned to the U.S. top 100 in 1883 and stayed there for 8 consecutive years, through 2025.
- More than 332 thousand babies named Josephine: U.S. records list 332,422 babies given the name Josephine from 1880 through 2025. Even 991 boys received the name Josephine - about 1 boy for every 334 girls.
What Does the Name Josephine Mean?
Josephine is the French feminine form of Joseph, made by adding the feminine ending -ine to the French Joseph. That name reaches English through Latin Iosephus and Greek Ioseph, both from Hebrew Yosef. The Hebrew name is usually explained as coming from the root yasaf, "to add," so its literal sense is "he will add" or "may he add." In the book of Genesis, Rachel names her son Joseph with the wish that the Lord add another son to her; from that episode comes the customary interpretation "God will increase." The literal etymology and the customary religious reading are therefore not quite the same thing.
Josephine Name History & Origins
The Hebrew Yosef passed into Greek as Ioseph and into Latin as Iosephus, and from those forms it entered the languages of Europe. French created the feminine Joséphine with the suffix -ine; the same pattern produced Spanish Josefina and Italian Giuseppina. The name became widely familiar through Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie, known as Joséphine, who married Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796 and became Empress of the French in 1804.
In the English-speaking world the name is found in the nineteenth century. Louisa May Alcott gave it to Josephine "Jo" March in Little Women (1868), a literary use rather than the name's origin. Later bearers include the dancer and singer Josephine Baker and Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese-born woman canonized as a saint in 2000.
How Popular is the Name Josephine?
Josephine ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1880 through 1942, then returned in 2018 and remained through 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #53 | 4,126 | 0.2567% |
| 2024 | #56 | 3,746 | 0.2322% |
| 2023 | #64 | 3,366 | 0.2100% |
| 2022 | #70 | 3,263 | 0.1991% |
| 2021 | #72 | 3,389 | 0.2067% |
| 2020 | #87 | 3,057 | 0.1892% |
| 2019 | #89 | 3,122 | 0.1861% |
| 2018 | #91 | 3,048 | 0.1792% |
| 2017 | #107 | 2,822 | 0.1635% |
| 2016 | #114 | 2,797 | 0.1579% |
| 2015 | #131 | 2,505 | 0.1404% |
| 2014 | #147 | 2,286 | 0.1280% |
| 2013 | #160 | 2,012 | 0.1147% |
| 2012 | #160 | 1,957 | 0.1111% |
| 2011 | #182 | 1,730 | 0.0984% |
| 2010 | #185 | 1,677 | 0.0944% |
| 2009 | #201 | 1,627 | 0.0886% |
| 2008 | #208 | 1,634 | 0.0864% |
| 2007 | #223 | 1,562 | 0.0813% |
| 2006 | #221 | 1,548 | 0.0814% |
| 2005 | #229 | 1,490 | 0.0806% |
| 2004 | #242 | 1,337 | 0.0728% |
| 2003 | #258 | 1,257 | 0.0688% |
| 2002 | #264 | 1,198 | 0.0667% |
| 2001 | #275 | 1,153 | 0.0640% |
| 2000 | #288 | 1,116 | 0.0615% |
| 1999 | #312 | 989 | 0.0558% |
| 1998 | #347 | 840 | 0.0475% |
| 1997 | #353 | 784 | 0.0450% |
| 1996 | #371 | 725 | 0.0414% |
| 1995 | #376 | 700 | 0.0398% |
| 1994 | #390 | 648 | 0.0363% |
| 1993 | #419 | 596 | 0.0329% |
| 1992 | #427 | 591 | 0.0321% |
| 1991 | #421 | 607 | 0.0324% |
| 1990 | #435 | 579 | 0.0305% |
| 1989 | #459 | 527 | 0.0286% |
| 1988 | #450 | 503 | 0.0282% |
| 1987 | #498 | 436 | 0.0251% |
| 1986 | #470 | 456 | 0.0266% |
| 1985 | #485 | 423 | 0.0246% |
| 1984 | #472 | 437 | 0.0260% |
| 1983 | #438 | 480 | 0.0287% |
| 1982 | #440 | 491 | 0.0290% |
| 1981 | #452 | 476 | 0.0285% |
| 1980 | #430 | 502 | 0.0302% |
| 1979 | #463 | 437 | 0.0272% |
| 1978 | #438 | 457 | 0.0298% |
| 1977 | #452 | 442 | 0.0288% |
| 1976 | #449 | 431 | 0.0294% |
| 1975 | #434 | 456 | 0.0313% |
| 1974 | #389 | 536 | 0.0365% |
| 1973 | #383 | 535 | 0.0367% |
| 1972 | #373 | 580 | 0.0381% |
| 1971 | #382 | 603 | 0.0362% |
| 1970 | #363 | 677 | 0.0387% |
| 1969 | #338 | 699 | 0.0414% |
| 1968 | #332 | 693 | 0.0422% |
| 1967 | #319 | 744 | 0.0451% |
| 1966 | #306 | 838 | 0.0495% |
| 1965 | #309 | 863 | 0.0489% |
| 1964 | #297 | 962 | 0.0508% |
| 1963 | #281 | 1,053 | 0.0546% |
| 1962 | #269 | 1,104 | 0.0561% |
| 1961 | #258 | 1,203 | 0.0596% |
| 1960 | #263 | 1,158 | 0.0573% |
| 1959 | #257 | 1,177 | 0.0582% |
| 1958 | #239 | 1,274 | 0.0633% |
| 1957 | #221 | 1,442 | 0.0705% |
| 1956 | #210 | 1,485 | 0.0740% |
| 1955 | #199 | 1,595 | 0.0816% |
| 1954 | #186 | 1,719 | 0.0885% |
| 1953 | #172 | 1,799 | 0.0956% |
| 1952 | #169 | 1,862 | 0.1004% |
| 1951 | #157 | 1,966 | 0.1092% |
| 1950 | #146 | 2,093 | 0.1222% |
| 1949 | #143 | 2,163 | 0.1264% |
| 1948 | #134 | 2,230 | 0.1313% |
| 1947 | #133 | 2,351 | 0.1326% |
| 1946 | #127 | 2,228 | 0.1418% |
| 1945 | #120 | 2,146 | 0.1642% |
| 1944 | #115 | 2,324 | 0.1751% |
| 1943 | #108 | 2,664 | 0.1909% |
| 1942 | #100 | 2,748 | 0.2035% |
| 1941 | #92 | 2,726 | 0.2256% |
| 1940 | #89 | 2,744 | 0.2400% |
| 1939 | #84 | 2,837 | 0.2587% |
| 1938 | #83 | 2,978 | 0.2699% |
| 1937 | #82 | 2,942 | 0.2765% |
| 1936 | #77 | 3,141 | 0.3019% |
| 1935 | #75 | 3,262 | 0.3111% |
| 1934 | #60 | 3,742 | 0.3584% |
| 1933 | #62 | 3,570 | 0.3542% |
| 1932 | #57 | 4,094 | 0.3836% |
| 1931 | #51 | 4,497 | 0.4224% |
| 1930 | #49 | 4,988 | 0.4430% |
| 1929 | #45 | 5,298 | 0.4745% |
| 1928 | #42 | 5,671 | 0.4917% |
| 1927 | #39 | 6,108 | 0.5122% |
| 1926 | #37 | 6,410 | 0.5407% |
| 1925 | #36 | 6,810 | 0.5594% |
| 1924 | #34 | 7,274 | 0.5824% |
| 1923 | #30 | 7,560 | 0.6267% |
| 1922 | #27 | 7,864 | 0.6548% |
| 1921 | #28 | 8,135 | 0.6597% |
| 1920 | #28 | 8,093 | 0.6754% |
| 1919 | #26 | 8,104 | 0.7171% |
| 1918 | #24 | 8,682 | 0.7500% |
| 1917 | #21 | 8,326 | 0.7700% |
| 1916 | #21 | 8,127 | 0.7782% |
| 1915 | #22 | 7,606 | 0.7731% |
| 1914 | #23 | 5,896 | 0.7742% |
| 1913 | #24 | 4,822 | 0.7721% |
| 1912 | #28 | 3,980 | 0.7131% |
| 1911 | #29 | 3,011 | 0.7198% |
| 1910 | #30 | 2,801 | 0.7064% |
| 1909 | #31 | 2,416 | 0.6958% |
| 1908 | #28 | 2,389 | 0.7146% |
| 1907 | #33 | 2,156 | 0.6768% |
| 1906 | #38 | 1,900 | 0.6434% |
| 1905 | #37 | 1,894 | 0.6495% |
| 1904 | #40 | 1,701 | 0.6177% |
| 1903 | #40 | 1,587 | 0.6058% |
| 1902 | #42 | 1,565 | 0.5926% |
| 1901 | #43 | 1,434 | 0.5991% |
| 1900 | #47 | 1,743 | 0.5814% |
| 1899 | #44 | 1,388 | 0.5956% |
| 1898 | #46 | 1,425 | 0.5507% |
| 1897 | #47 | 1,267 | 0.5410% |
| 1896 | #50 | 1,256 | 0.5279% |
| 1895 | #47 | 1,334 | 0.5710% |
| 1894 | #48 | 1,256 | 0.5634% |
| 1893 | #50 | 1,178 | 0.5533% |
| 1892 | #49 | 1,210 | 0.5698% |
| 1891 | #49 | 1,031 | 0.5558% |
| 1890 | #49 | 1,118 | 0.5873% |
| 1889 | #49 | 1,047 | 0.5870% |
| 1888 | #49 | 1,001 | 0.5604% |
| 1887 | #50 | 815 | 0.5583% |
| 1886 | #47 | 844 | 0.5839% |
| 1885 | #48 | 783 | 0.5885% |
| 1884 | #45 | 800 | 0.6201% |
| 1883 | #46 | 697 | 0.6205% |
| 1882 | #49 | 638 | 0.5916% |
| 1881 | #48 | 563 | 0.6123% |
| 1880 | #50 | 544 | 0.5978% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #13,124 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #5,377 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #7,869 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,111 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #3,398 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #2,958 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #3,830 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #4,346 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1961 | #3,512 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #3,493 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #4,227 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #2,878 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #3,694 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #3,299 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #3,036 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #3,557 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #2,763 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1948 | #3,164 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1946 | #3,352 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #2,320 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1944 | #2,039 | 13 | 0.0010% |
| 1943 | #1,946 | 15 | 0.0011% |
| 1942 | #1,771 | 17 | 0.0012% |
| 1941 | #1,558 | 20 | 0.0016% |
| 1940 | #2,131 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1939 | #1,437 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1938 | #1,389 | 24 | 0.0022% |
| 1937 | #1,324 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1936 | #1,345 | 25 | 0.0024% |
| 1935 | #1,409 | 24 | 0.0023% |
| 1934 | #1,584 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1933 | #1,567 | 20 | 0.0020% |
| 1932 | #1,119 | 37 | 0.0035% |
| 1931 | #1,139 | 36 | 0.0035% |
| 1930 | #1,244 | 33 | 0.0030% |
| 1929 | #1,430 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1928 | #1,342 | 30 | 0.0027% |
| 1927 | #1,308 | 32 | 0.0028% |
| 1926 | #1,873 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1925 | #1,519 | 25 | 0.0022% |
| 1924 | #2,005 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1923 | #2,177 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1922 | #1,616 | 23 | 0.0021% |
| 1921 | #1,741 | 21 | 0.0019% |
| 1920 | #2,282 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1919 | #1,730 | 20 | 0.0020% |
| 1918 | #1,388 | 27 | 0.0027% |
| 1917 | #1,783 | 18 | 0.0019% |
| 1916 | #2,001 | 15 | 0.0017% |
| 1915 | #1,835 | 16 | 0.0019% |
| 1914 | #1,525 | 17 | 0.0026% |
| 1913 | #1,541 | 13 | 0.0025% |
| 1912 | #1,683 | 10 | 0.0023% |
| 1911 | #913 | 14 | 0.0062% |
| 1910 | #1,260 | 8 | 0.0041% |
| 1909 | #926 | 11 | 0.0067% |
| 1908 | #1,066 | 8 | 0.0052% |
| 1907 | #1,048 | 8 | 0.0054% |
| 1906 | #969 | 8 | 0.0060% |
| 1905 | #1,036 | 7 | 0.0053% |
| 1903 | #676 | 12 | 0.0101% |
| 1902 | #982 | 7 | 0.0057% |
| 1901 | #811 | 8 | 0.0075% |
| 1900 | #1,241 | 6 | 0.0040% |
| 1899 | #992 | 6 | 0.0056% |
| 1897 | #892 | 7 | 0.0062% |
| 1896 | #937 | 7 | 0.0059% |
| 1892 | #1,021 | 6 | 0.0049% |
| 1891 | #1,045 | 5 | 0.0049% |
| 1890 | #946 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1889 | #930 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1888 | #1,112 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1885 | #881 | 6 | 0.0056% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Josephine
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Josephine Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Josephine's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Josephine's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.