Josephine (given name)
Josephine, Josefina | |
---|---|
Pronunciation |
/dʒoʊsəfiːn/ French: [ʒo.ze.fin] German: [joːzəfiːnə] |
Gender | Female |
Origin | |
Word/name | Hebrew |
Meaning | "She shall add" |
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. This is the feminine form of the name Joseph, which is taken from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "Jehovah increases".
Variations
It was originally a diminutive form of the French name Joséphe, and eventually became the standard form in the 19th century, replacing Joséphe, which eventually became a very rare name. Josephine is now the 260th most popular name in the USA. Diminutive forms of this name include Fifi, Jo, Josie, Joetta and Jojo, an Irish version "Seosaimhín", the Spanish version "Josefina" or Josephina and the Greek version Iosiphina (Greek: Ιωσηφίνα). Also spelled Yosefina and Gosefine. The Swedish version is Josefine.
The name started gaining popularity after 1800 due to the high profile of Josephine de Beauharnais, a French noblewoman who became Napoleon's mistress, and later his wife.
Translations
- جوزفين (Arabic)
- Жазэфіна, Žazefina (Belarusian)
- 约瑟芬, Yuēsèfēn (Chinese Simplified)
- 約瑟芬, Yuēsèfēn (Chinese Traditional)
- Jozefina, Finka, Ina (Croatian)
- Jozefien, Josefien, Fien (Dutch)
- Josephina (English)
- Josefine (German)
- Ιωσηφίνα, Io̱si̱fína (Greek)
- જોસેફાઈન, Jōsēphā'īna (Gujarati)
- Josefiina (Finnish)
- Joséphine, Fifi, Josette, Josiane (French)
- ג'וזפין (Hebrew)
- जोसफिन, Jōsaphina (Hindi)
- Jozefina, Jozefin, Jozefa (Hungarian)
- Giuseppina (Italian)
- ジョセフィン, Josefin (Japanese)
- ಜೋಸೆಫೀನ್, Jōsephīn (Kannada)
- 조세핀, Josepin (Korean)
- Џозефин, Džozefin (Macedonian)
- Жозефина, Jozyefina (Mongolian)
- जोसेफिन, Jōsēphina (Nepali)
- ژوزفین (Persian)
- Józefina (Polish)
- Josefina (Portuguese)
- Жозефина, Zhozefina (Punjabi)
- Јосепхине (Serbian)
- Josefina (Spanish)
- Josefina (Swedish)
- ஜோசபின், Jōcapiṉ (Tamil)
- జోసెఫిన్, Jōsephin (Telugu)
- โจเซฟิน, Cosefin (Thai)
- Жозефіна, Zhozefina (Ukrainian)
- דזשאָסעפינע, Dzşʼásʻpynʻ (Yiddish)
Nicknames
Fi, Fientje, Fifi, Fike, Fina, Jael, Jo, Joephy, Joey, Joja, Jojo, Jos, Josa, Josie, Jossan, Jovi, Johnny, Jussus, Juza, Peppa, Posy, Sefi, Sefina, Sephine, Sophie, Anne and Zeph.
Male
- Joséphin Péladan (1858–1918), French novelist and martinist
- Josephine Meeker (1857–1882), American teacher and physician
People with the given name Josephine
Royalty
- Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Princess of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
- Josephine of Leuchtenberg, Queen of Sweden
- Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress Consort of the French, Queen Consort of Italy, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte
- Princess Josephine of Denmark, Danish princess
Other
- Josephine Bakhita, ex-slave from Sudan, Catholic nun and saint
- Josephine Bell, English author
- Josephine Baker, American dancer, jazz and pop singer
- Joséphine-Félicité-Augustine Brohan (1824–1893), French actress
- Josephine Brunsvik, Hungarian countess, most likely Beethoven's Immortal Beloved
- Josephine Butler, British feminist and reformer
- Josephine Cox (born 1938), UK author
- Josephine Foster, American folk singer
- Josephine Clara Goldmark, American reformer
- Josephine Sophia White Griffing, American social reformer
- Josephine Hopper, wife and model of painter Edward Hopper
- Josephine Humphreys, American novelist
- Josephine Louise Le Monnier Newcomb, American philanthropist
- Josephine Shaw Lowell, American social reformer
- Josephine Lucchese (1893–1974), American opera singer.
- Josephine Mitchell (born 1965), Australian actress
- Josephine Preston Peabody, American writer
- Josephine Ruffin, early civil rights activist and suffragist
- Josephine Siao, Hong Kong actress
- Josephine Skriver, Danish model
- Josephine Sparre
- Josephine Tewson, British actress
- Josephine Tey, mystery writer
- Josephine 'Jo' Williams, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Fictional characters
- Josephine Bloom, a character played by Marion Cotillard in the 2003 film Big Fish
- Josephine Balsamo, a.k.a. Countess Cagliosto, antagonist of Arsène Lupin in novels
- Josephine, Captain Corcoran's daughter in the comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore
- Josephine "Jo" March, protagonist of the novel Little Women
- Josephine Joey Potter, in the television series Dawson's Creek
- Dr Josephine Jo Wilson, in the television series Grey's Anatomy
- Josephine Cherette Montilyet, the Chief Ambassador and Diplomat in Dragon Age Inquisition.
See also
- Josephina (disambiguation)
- Josephine (disambiguation)
- Josie (name)
- Giuseppina (given name)
- "Josephine the Singer, or the Mouse Folk", a short story by Franz Kafka