Josephine is a female name. It is the English version of the French name Joséphine, itself a female variant of the name

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

, which is ultimately derived from the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

name Yosef (

: יוֹסֵף), meaning "he shall add/grow".

Variations

Originally a diminutive form of the French name ''Josèphe'', Joséphine became the standard form in the 19th century, replacing ''Josèphe'', which eventually became a very rare name. In 2017, Josephine was the 107th most popular girls' baby name in the US. Diminutive forms of this name include Fifi, Jo, Josie, Joetta and Jojo. Other language variants include the Irish version Seosaimhín, the Spanish version Josefina or Josephina, and the Greek version Iosiphina (

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

: Ιωσηφίνα). Alternate spellings include Yosefina and Gosefine. The Swedish version is Josefin or Josefine. The name started gaining popularity after 1800 due to the high profile of

Joséphine de Beauharnais Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 Janua ...

, a French noblewoman who became

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's mistress and later his wife and Empress of the French.

Translations

* جوزفين (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

) * * ג'וזפין (

) * Jozefina, Xhozefina, Gjozefina, Gjyzepina ( Albanian) * Жазэфіна, Žazefina ( Belarusian) * Josefina, Fina, Josefa ( Catalan) * 约瑟芬, Yuēsèfēn (

Chinese Simplified Simplified Chinese characters are one of two standardized character sets widely used to write the Chinese language, with the other being traditional characters. Their mass standardization during the 20th century was part of an initiative by th ...

) * 約瑟芬, Yuēsèfēn ( Chinese Traditional) * Josipa, Jozefina, Finka, Ina ( Croatian) * Jozefien, Josefien, Fien ( Dutch) * Josephine, Josephin ( English) * Josefine ( German) * Josefine ( Danish) * Ιωσηφίνα, Io̱si̱fína (

) * જોસેફાઈન, Jōsēphā'īna ( Gujarati) * Josefiina ( Finnish) * Joséphine, Fifi, Josette, Josiane ( French) * जोसफिन, Jōsaphina (

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

) * Jozefina, Jozefin, Jozefa ( Hungarian) * Yosephine, Josefa, Josepha, Josephira, Josephine, Josephina, Yosefin, Yosefina, Josefina, Yosepha, Finka, Ina ( Indonesian) * Giuseppina ( Italian) * ジョセフィン, Josefuin ( Japanese) * ಜೋಸೆಫೀನ್, Jōsephīn (

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

) * 조세핀, Josepin( Korean) * Џозефин, Džozefin ( Macedonian) * ജോസഫൈൻ, Josephine (

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

) * Жозефина, Jozyefina ( Mongolian) * जोसेफिन, Jōsēphina ( Nepali) * ژوزفین ( Persian) * Józefina ( Polish) * Josefina ( Portuguese) * Жозефина, Zhozefina ( Russian) * Iosefina ( Samoan) * Јосефина, Josefina ( Serbian) * Josefina ( Spanish) * Josefina, Josefine, Josefin ( Swedish) * ஜோசபின், Jōcapiṉ (

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

) * జోసెఫిన్, Jōsephin ( Telugu) * โจเซฟิน, Josefin ( Thai) * Жозефіна, Zhozefina ( Ukrainian) * דזשאָסעפינע, Dzşʼásʻpynʻ (

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

)

Nicknames

Jobe, Joby, JJ, Jowse, Jody, Fi, Fientje, Fifi, Fike, Fina, Jael, Jo, Joephy, Joey, Joja, Jojo, Jos, Josa, Josie, Josy, Jovi, Johnny, Jussus, Juza, Pepi, Peppa, Phinie, Posey, Posy, Posie, Sefi, Sefina, Sephine, Sophie, Ephine, Effy, Jo-Z, Joan, Jayla, Jay, Fini, Fine, Finka.

Male

* Joséphin Péladan (1858–1918), French novelist and martinist

People with the given name Josephine

Royalty

* Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Princess of

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg * Josephine of Leuchtenberg, Queen of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, Empress Consort of the French, Queen Consort of Italy, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte * Princess Joséphine of Lorraine, Princess of Carignano * Josephine of Rosenborg, Countess, member of Denmark's Royal Family * Princess Josephine of Baden, Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen * Princess Joséphine Caroline of Belgium, wife of Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern * Princess Josephine of Denmark, Danish princess

Other

* Josephine Abady (1949–2002), American stage director, film director, and producer * Josephine Abercrombie (1926–2022), American horsewoman, businesswoman, boxing promoter, and philanthropist * Josefin Abrahamsson (born 1979), Swedish table tennis player * Josephine Adreon (1844–1911), American landscape painter * Josefin Åsberg (born 1974), Swedish production designer * Josefin Asplund (born 1991), Swedish actress *

Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...

, American dancer, jazz and pop singer *

Josephine Bakhita Josephine Margaret Bakhita, (; c. 1869 – 8 February 1947) was a Catholic Church in Sudan, Sudanese Catholic religious sister who joined the Canossians after winning her freedom from slavery. She served in Italy for 50 years until her deat ...

, ex-slave from Sudan, Catholic nun and saint *

Josefine Balluck A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by Americans, American author L. Frank Baum. Although a common fixture in Germanic culture, Germanic fairy tale, fairy tales, they are introduced to popular culture, modern ...

, Austrian-American actor * Josephine Bell, English author * Josephine Thorndike Berry (1871-1945), American educator, home economist * Joséphine-Félicité-Augustine Brohan (1824–1893), French actress * Josephine Bulmer (born 1996), Australian canoeist * Josephine Bunch, British physicist * Josefin Brink (born 1969), Swedish politician * Josephine Brunsvik, Hungarian countess, most likely Beethoven's

Immortal Beloved The Immortal Beloved (German "Unsterbliche Geliebte") is the addressee of a love letter which composer Ludwig van Beethoven wrote on 6 or 7 July 1812 in Teplitz (then in the Austrian Empire, now in the Czech Republic). The unsent letter is writ ...

* Josephine Butler, British

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

and reformer * Josephine Cashman, Aboriginal Australian lawyer and entrepreneur * Josephine Cochrane, American inventor, inventor of the dishwasher * Joséphine Colomb (1833-1892), French children's writer, lyricist, translator * Josephine Cox (1938–2020), English author * Josefine Cronholm, Swedish jazz vocalist and songwriter * Joséphine de La Baume, French actress * Josefine Cronholm, Swedish ski-orienteering competitor and world champion * Josefin Eder (born 1995), German sport shooter * Josefine Einsle, German curler * Josephine Ann Endicott (born 1950), Australian dancer * Josephine Clay Ford (1923–2005), granddaughter of Henry Ford * Josephine Fletcher, New Zealand professor of education *

Josephine Foster Josephine Foster is an American singer, songwriter, and musician from Colorado. She is known for her anachronistic voice and work that weaves older styles with the modern, escaping simple classification. As a teenager, Foster worked as a chur ...

, American folk singer * Josephine Clara Goldmark, American reformer * Josephine Sophia White Griffing, American social reformer * Josephine Healion (born 1995), Irish para-cyclist * Josefin Hermansson (born 1990), Swedish bowler * Josephine Hopper, wife and model of painter Edward Hopper * Josephine Humphreys, American novelist *

Josephine Hutchinson Josephine Hutchinson (October 12, 1903 – June 4, 1998) was an American actress. She acted in dozens of theater plays and dozens of films, including ''Son of Frankenstein'' and ''North by Northwest'', as well as numerous television appearances ...

, American actress * Joséphine Jobert, French actress and singer * Josephine Kane, British academic and historian of architecture * Joséphine Nyssens Keelhoff (1833-1917), Belgian activist, social reformer, editor * Josephine Gates Kelly, Native American activist and politician * Josefin Kipper (1928–1981), Austrian actress * Josephine Langford, Australian actress * Josephine Lips (born 1976), Australian former representative rower * Josefin Ljungman (born 1981), Swedish actress * Josephine Louise Le Monnier Newcomb, American philanthropist * Josefine Lindstrand, Swedish singer * Josephine Shaw Lowell, American social reformer * Josephine Lucchese (1893–1974), American opera singer * Josephine McGill (1877–1919), American composer and music historian * Josephine Medina (1970–2021), Filipino table tennis player * Josephine Meeker (1857–1882), American teacher and physician * Josephine Melville (1961–2022), British actress, director and writer * Josephine Mitchell (born 1965), Australian actress * Josephine Moon, Australian author * Josefin Neldén (born 1984), Swedish actress * Josefin Nilsson (1969–2016), Swedish singer and actress * Josephine Obermann (born 1983), German curler * Josefin Olsson (born 1989), Swedish sailor *

Josefine Öqvist Anna Lenita Josefine Öqvist (born 23 July 1983) is a Swedish former footballer who played for Montpellier of the French Division 1 Féminine and the Swedish national team. She scored a critical goal at the 86' minute in the 2003 FIFA Wome ...

(Anna Lenita Josefine Öqvist), Swedish female footballer * Joséphine Pagnier (born 2002), French ski jumper * Josephine Amelia Perkins (born c. 1818), British horse thief and prisoner * Josephine Preston Peabody, American writer * Josefine Preuß, German actor * Josefine Ridell, Swedish singer * Josephine Robinson Roe (1858–1946), American mathematician and university professor * Josephine Ruffin, early civil rights activist and suffragist * Josephine Siao, Hong Kong actress * Josephine Skriver, Danish model * Josephine Sparre, Swedish noble * Josefin Taljegård (born 1995), Swedish figure skater * Joséphine Teakarotu (born 1969), French Polynesian politician * Josephine Tewson (1931–2022), British actress * Josephine Tey, mystery writer * Josephine Waconda (1935-2013), American nurse and administrator * Josephine "Jo" Williams, British businesswoman * Josephine Wratten (born 1992), British rower

Fictional characters

*Grandma Josephine, a fictional character in Roald Dahl's 1964 book: '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' *Josephine, Captain Corcoran's daughter in the comic opera '' H.M.S. Pinafore'' *Josephine Anwhistle, a fictional character in the series of novels ''

A Series of Unfortunate Events ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' is a series of thirteen Children's literature, children's novels written by American author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket. The books follow the turbulent lives of orphaned siblings List of A ...

'' by Lemony Snicket * Josephine Balsamo, a.k.a. Countess Cagliosto, antagonist of

Arsène Lupin Arsène Lupin () is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine '' Je sais tout''. The first ...

in novels *Josephine Barry, a character in the novel ''

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...

'' *Josephine Bloom, a character played by Marion Cotillard in the 2003 film '' Big Fish'' *Josephine "Lena" Duchannes, second protagonist of the novel series '' Caster Chronicles'' by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl *Dr Josephine Jo Karev, in the television series ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...

'' *Josephine Ada Lightbourne, a character in the television series '' The 100'' *Josephine "Jo" March, protagonist of the novel ''

Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott, originally published in two volumes, in 1868 and 1869. The story follows the lives of the four March sisters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and details th ...

'' *Josephine Cherette Montilyet, the Chief Ambassador and Diplomat in ''Dragon Age Inquisition'' *Josephine “Pepi” Mutzenbacher, protagonist of the novel '' Josephine Mutzenbacher'' *Josephine Joey Potter, in the television series ''

Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college. It aired from January 20, 19 ...

References

External links

Josephine database.

Behind The Name.

Etymology Online.

United States Social Security Database.
{{Commons category-inline English feminine given names Feminine given names Modern names of Hebrew origin