Josephine

Josephine is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, derived from the name Joseph, which comes from Yosef meaning "God will increase" or "God shall add." Through Latin and French forms, the name has produced several variants, including Joséphine (French), Josefine (German, Danish), Josefina (Spanish, Portuguese), and Giuseppina (Italian). Diminutives such as Jo, Josie, and Fifi appear in various languages.

Notable bearers include Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763–1814), the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte; Saint Josephine Bakhita (1869–1947), a Sudanese-Italian nun canonized in 2000; Josephine Baker (1906–1975), an American-born French entertainer and civil rights activist; and Josephine Butler (1828–1906), a British feminist and reformer. The German soprano Josephine Lang (1815–1880) is another historical figure. In fiction, Josephine, commonly shortened to Jo, March is the protagonist of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.

Today the name remains widely used across many cultures, with a long tradition in English and Francophone countries. Common diminutives include Jo and Josie, and international variants appear in many languages, continuing to give the name broad cross-cultural appeal.