Josephine
Girl name · #53 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Josephine? In official American birth records, Josephine has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Josephine ranks #53 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 4,126 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #131, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 436 girls born in 2025 was named Josephine.
Babies named Josephine per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Josephine first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 544 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 8,682 girls were named Josephine — good for #24 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Josephine against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Josephine in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Josephine is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Josephine is most common
Geography matters for names, and Josephine is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Josephine is most common in VT (15 per 1,000), DC (13 per 1,000), AK (11 per 1,000), MT (8.5 per 1,000), ME (7.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 3.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Josephine is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Josephine
Josephine carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Josephine family went to about 7,183 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #14, versus #53 for Josephine alone.
Names like Josephine
Statistically, parents drawn to Josephine tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Genevieve, Alice, June, Clara, and Vivian.
GenevieveAliceJuneClaraVivianLillianElsieRuby
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Josephine | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,126 | #53 |
| 2024 | 3,765 | #56 |
| 2023 | 3,371 | #64 |
| 2022 | 3,266 | #70 |
| 2021 | 3,391 | #72 |
| 2020 | 3,057 | #87 |
| 2019 | 3,123 | #90 |
| 2018 | 3,050 | #91 |
| 2017 | 2,823 | #107 |
| 2016 | 2,797 | #114 |
| 2015 | 2,505 | #131 |
| 2014 | 2,286 | #147 |
| 2013 | 2,012 | #160 |
| 2012 | 1,957 | #160 |
| 2011 | 1,730 | #181 |
| 2010 | 1,677 | #185 |
| 2009 | 1,628 | #201 |
| 2008 | 1,635 | #208 |
| 2007 | 1,562 | #223 |
| 2006 | 1,548 | #221 |
| 2005 | 1,490 | #229 |
| 2004 | 1,337 | #242 |
| 2003 | 1,257 | #258 |
| 2002 | 1,198 | #264 |
| 2001 | 1,153 | #275 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Josephine?
In official American birth records, the name Josephine first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 544 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Josephine a popular girl name?
Josephine ranked #53 among girls in 2025 with 4,126 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #131.
When was the name Josephine most popular?
Josephine peaked in 1918, when 8,682 American girls received the name (ranked #24 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Josephine?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 436 newborn American girls was named Josephine. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.