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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Josephine
Josephine is the feminine version of Joseph and has its origins in the Hebrew name Yosef, which means “God shall grow” or “Jehovah increases.” In French, the female version of Joseph was Josèphe, but it slowly lost popularity, and Joséphine became more common.
Josephine is believed to have thus come from the French Joséphine. According to the Bible, Joseph was Jacob’s eleventh and favorite son. There is also mention of a Joseph of Arimathea, who is said to have taken the responsibility to bury Jesus after his crucifixion. This Biblical connection perhaps resulted in Josephine’s popularity soaring among the royalty of various countries. Many queens and princesses in European countries carried the name Josephine. Joséphine of Leuchtenberg was the Queen of Sweden and Norway in the mid-1800s, while the wife of Grand Duke Jean, Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, was the Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg. The name also became widely known because of Josephine Bonaparte, the empress of France and wife of Napolean Bonaparte.
Josephine has many variations in spelling across different languages and countries. For instance, it is Jozefien in Dutch, Jozefina in Polish, Josefina or Josephina in Spanish, and Seosaimhín in Irish. The name also has various adorable nicknames, which make the name a favorite among parents through generations. Popular short forms or nicknames for Josephine include Jo, Fifi, Josie, and Joey.
The Archie comic character Josie of Josie and the Pussycats is a famous Josephine in popular culture, and so is Josephine Potter or Joey from the TV drama Dawson’s Creek, which was played by Katie Holmes. When it comes to literature, Jo from the English classic Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is an unforgettable Josephine, while Aunt Josephine of Anne of Green Gables is a lovable character we all wish we had in our lives.
Josephine
How To Pronounce Josephine?
Famous People With The Name Josephine
- Josephine Bakhita Ex-slave from Sudan, Catholic nun, saint
- Josephine Thorndike BerryAmerican educator, home economist
- Josephine Clara Goldmark American reformer
- Josephine Humphreys American novelist
- Josephine Hutchinson American actress
- Josephine Ruffin Early civil rights activist and suffragist
- Josephine McGill American composer and music historian
- Josephine Langford Australian actress
- Josephine Gates Kelly Native American activist and politician
- Josefine Engström Swedish ski-orienteering competitor and World Champion
Josephine On The Popularity Chart
The popularity of Josephine has been growing steadily since the late 90s. The graphic representation below will give you more information.
Popularity Over Time
Slow and steady has been the rise of Josephine on the popularity chart. From 596 babies per million being named Josephine in 1993, the number rose to 3364 babies per million in 2021.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
Ranked 430 in 1980, Josephine’s popularity further fell to 498 in 1987. But since then, the name’s popularity has risen steadily, entering the top 100 in 2018. Josephine was ranked 72 in 2021.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sound As Josephine
Josephine sounds great, but you may love to find a name with a different meaning. Check out the suggestions below and take your pick.
Names With Similar Meaning As Josephine
For some reason, you may want to use an alternative of Josephine with the same meaning. Fret not, as we have a list of such names below.
Name Numerology For Josephine
