Josephine — Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

Josephine is a girls' name of Hebrew/French origin, meaning "God will increase". Empress Josépine, Napoleon's empress — Jo, Josie, and Posy are all on the table.

Style & feel. With vintage and royal on its style card, Josephine sits comfortably in the modern naming landscape — familiar enough that nobody misreads it, distinctive enough that your child won't share it with three classmates. At 4 syllables, it flows across most middle-name combinations and survives every life stage from playground to résumé.

Pairing ideas. Josephine pairs naturally with one- and two-syllable middles (Harriet, Margaret share its sound-world). If you like Josephine, you'll probably also love Harriet, Margaret, Eleanor — same era, same energy, same bone structure.