Josie
Girl name · #82 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Josie? In official American birth records, Josie has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Josie is currently the #82 girl name in the United States — 3,021 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #250, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 596 girls born in 2025 was named Josie.
The 145-year story
Josie first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 141 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 3,021 babies and a rank of #82. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Babies named Josie per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Josie against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Josie in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Josie 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 Josie is most common
Geography matters for names, and Josie is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Josie is most common in ME (8 per 1,000), MT (6.7 per 1,000), AK (6 per 1,000), ND (5.9 per 1,000), WV (5.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 2.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Josie is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Josie
Josie belongs to the Josephine family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Josephine family went to about 7,183 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #14, versus #82 for Josie alone.
Names like Josie
Statistically, parents drawn to Josie tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hallie, Maisie, Millie, Juliette, and Maeve.
HallieMaisieMillieJulietteMaeveLuciaSadiePhoebe
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Josie | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,021 | #82 |
| 2024 | 2,903 | #88 |
| 2023 | 2,515 | #108 |
| 2022 | 2,372 | #120 |
| 2021 | 2,167 | #130 |
| 2020 | 2,003 | #134 |
| 2019 | 1,859 | #155 |
| 2018 | 1,586 | #191 |
| 2017 | 1,535 | #200 |
| 2016 | 1,368 | #237 |
| 2015 | 1,294 | #250 |
| 2014 | 1,288 | #252 |
| 2013 | 1,223 | #266 |
| 2012 | 1,277 | #253 |
| 2011 | 1,246 | #256 |
| 2010 | 1,251 | #262 |
| 2009 | 1,056 | #310 |
| 2008 | 1,134 | #294 |
| 2007 | 1,129 | #299 |
| 2006 | 1,124 | #294 |
| 2005 | 1,017 | #317 |
| 2004 | 975 | #324 |
| 2003 | 1,018 | #305 |
| 2002 | 1,110 | #282 |
| 2001 | 1,101 | #282 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Josie?
In official American birth records, the name Josie first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 141 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Josie a popular girl name?
Josie ranked #82 among girls in 2025 with 3,021 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #250.
When was the name Josie most popular?
Josie peaked in 2025, when 3,021 American girls received the name (ranked #82 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Josie?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 596 newborn American girls was named Josie. 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.