Josephine (given name)

Josephine, Josefina
Pronunciation/ˈsəfn, -zə-/
French: [ʒozefin]
German: [joːzəˈfiːnə]
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameHebrew
Meaning"He shall add/grow"
Other names
Related namesJoseph, Joey, Joe, Josie, Josef

Josephine is a female name. It is the English version of the French name Joséphine, itself a female variant of the name Joseph, which is ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Yosef (Hebrew: יוֹסֵף), meaning "he shall add/grow".

Variations

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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.[1] 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: Ιωσηφίνα). Alternate spellings include Yosefina and Gosefine. The Swedish version is Josefine.

The name started gaining popularity after 1800 due to the high profile of Joséphine de Beauharnais, a French noblewoman who became Napoleon's mistress and later his wife and Empress of the French.

Translations

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Nicknames

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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

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People with the given name Josephine

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Royalty

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Other

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Fictional characters

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ OACT. "Popular Baby Names". www.ssa.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
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Media related to Josephine (given name) at Wikimedia Commons