NameChart

Josephine

Girl name

Josephine has been given to 332,458 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1918 and currently ranks #53 for girls (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈd͡ʒəʊ.zə.fiːn/

From French Joséphine, diminutive of Josèphe, feminine form of Joseph. By surface analysis, Joseph +‎ -ine. Popularized in English by Josephine Bonaparte, the empress of Napoleonic France.

Origin: French

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

02.171k4.341k6.512k8.682k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

332,458

Peak year

1918 (8,709 babies)

Rank in 2025

#53 for girls

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▲ +65%

Gender split

100% girls / 0% boys

Famous people named Josephine

Clara Zetkin

Communist activist, and advocate for women's rights (1857–1933)

Josephine Baker

American-born French dancer, singer and actress (1906–1975)

Joséphine de Beauharnais

Empress consort of the French from 1804 to 1814 (1763-1814)

Anya Taylor-Joy

Actress (born 1996)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Josephine.

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