Josephine

Josephine ~ God will Increase ~ Hebrew

portrait of Joséphine, Pierre-Paul Prud'hon

Josephine is an English version of the French name Joséphine. It comes from the Hebrew name Joseph, who was a man in the Bible known for his interpretation of dreams.

Famous Josephines
But when I think of the name Josephine, I think of Joséphine de Beauharnais, the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and their strangely romantic but depressing relationship. The couple's romance was forever preserved by Napoleon's letters to his wife, containing love-sick ramblings suited for poetry. Despite a genuine affection for each other, the two both had affairs, and after Joséphine could not conceive a child with him, she agreed to a divorce. Even still, Napoleon's last word was simply, "Joséphine."

There have been many well-known women by this name who have the ability to inspire. Josephine Baker, Saint Josephine Bakhita, and Josephine Ruffin are certainly a few of them. My favorite fictional Josephine is Jo March, the passionate and creative character from Little Women. She may be one of the best loved fictional characters of all time.

Popularity
Josephine was most popular in the U.S. during the 10s and 20s. It's a jazzy but classy name with a hint of French influence. And it's just lovely.

• For 2014, Josephine is number 147 and hasn't yet hit its peak.
• Josephine is a song by Tori Amos
• Variants include
  • Jo
  • Jojo
  • Fifi
  • Joetta
  • Josie or Josi
  • Joey