Pronunciation | /ˈdʒoʊsəfiːn, -zə-/ French: [ʒozefin] German: [joːzəˈfiːnə] |
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Gender | Female |
Origin | |
Word/name | Hebrew |
Meaning | "(Jehovah) shall grow" |
Other names | |
Related names | Joseph, Joey, Joe, Josie, Josef |
Josephine is a female given name. It is the English version of the French name Joséphine. In Greece, the female name Josephine is Io̱si̱fína and used mainly on the island of Crete. The feminine form of the name Joseph, which is taken from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "(YHWH) shall grow."
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.
Jobe, JJ, Jowse, Jody, Fi, Fientje, Fifi, Fike, Fina, Jael, Jo, Joephy, Joey, Joja, Jojo, Jos, Josa, Josie, Jossan, Jovi, Johnny, Jussus, Juza, Pepi, Peppa, Phinie, Posey, Posy, Posie, Sefi, Sefina, Sephine, Sophie, Ephine, Effy, Jo-Z, Joan, Jayla, Jay, Fini, Fine, Finka.
Main article: Joseph (name) |