Josephine is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Josephine means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Josephine across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Josephine has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Josephine is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “he will add”. a feminine form of Joseph.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 332,458 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 5,896 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 591 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 50 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3,505 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 570 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Josephine per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1918 (8,709/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1964 (287/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (269/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (27/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (6/yr).
Josephine has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #45 nationally (given to 8,709 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1910s.
Josefina · Josiephine · Josephina · Joesphine · Josphine · Josephene · Jossiephine · Josiephene
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