Josephine
/ˈdʒoʊzəfiːn/noun
A feminine given name, traditionally regarded as the feminine form of Joseph.
Did you know?The name became internationally fashionable partly through Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon Bonaparte’s first wife, whom he crowned Empress of the French in 1804.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
יוֹסֵף (Yosef)
“He will add; he will increase”
Hellenistic Period
Greek
Ἰωσήφ (Iōsēph)
“Joseph, the biblical name transmitted into Greek”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Ioseph
“Joseph, used in Latin biblical and Christian texts”
Medieval Period
French
Joseph
“The masculine personal name from biblical tradition”
18th Century
French
Joséphine
“Feminine form of Joseph, popularized as a given name”
18th Century–Modern English
English
Josephine
“A feminine personal name”