If you’re looking for a name that is sweet and feminine, then Josephine might be the perfect fit. This name has been popular in France since the 18th century and was introduced to America by the late 19th century.
We’ve compiled a list of the best middle names for Josephine below.
Meaning of the Name Josephine
Josephine is derived from the French name Joséphe, which is a feminine form of the name Joseph. Joseph is derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning “shall grow” or “Jehovah increases.”
| Origin | French |
| Pronunciation | joh-sehf-een |
Best Middle Names for Josephine
If you’re considering naming your daughter Josephine, we’ve put together a list of our favorite middle names here.
- Josephine Abigail
- Josephine Ada
- Josephine Adele
- Josephine Alexandra
- Josephine Annabelle
- Josephine Anne
- Josephine Arabella
- Josephine Arielle
- Josephine Arlette
- Josephine Astrid
- Josephine Belle
- Josephine Blake
- Josephine Blithe
- Josephine Braelyn
- Josephine Briar
- Josephine Brielle
- Josephine Camille
- Josephine Capri
- Josephine Celeste
- Josephine Celine
- Josephine Claire
- Josephine Colette
- Josephine Cora
- Josephine Daelyn
- Josephine Danielle
- Josephine Dawn
- Josephine Demi
- Josephine Diane
- Josephine Dior
- Josephine Eileen
- Josephine Elise
- Josephine Elizabeth
- Josephine Eloise
- Josephine Emersyn
- Josephine Evelyn
- Josephine Faith
- Josephine Fern
- Josephine Flor
- Josephine Giselle
- Josephine Grace
- Josephine Gwen
- Josephine Harper
- Josephine Haze
- Josephine Hazel
- Josephine Hope
- Josephine Irene
- Josephine Iris
- Josephine Isabelle
- Josephine Isla
- Josephine Jade
- Josephine Jane
- Josephine Janelle
- Josephine Jayleen
- Josephine Joelle
- Josephine Joy
- Josephine Juliet
- Josephine June
- Josephine Kate
- Josephine Katherine
- Josephine Kay
- Josephine Lane
- Josephine Leanne
- Josephine Louise
- Josephine Lucille
- Josephine Lynne
- Josephine Mae
- Josephine Maeve
- Josephine Marie
- Josephine Marleen
- Josephine Michelle
- Josephine Monroe
- Josephine Nadine
- Josephine Nicole
- Josephine Noelle
- Josephine Olivia
- Josephine Opal
- Josephine Paige
- Josephine Pauline
- Josephine Pearl
- Josephine Peri
- Josephine Quinn
- Josephine Rae
- Josephine Raelynn
- Josephine Raquel
- Josephine Renee
- Josephine Rose
- Josephine Rue
- Josephine Ruth
- Josephine Sade
- Josephine Selene
- Josephine Skye
- Josephine Soleil
- Josephine Sophia
- Josephine Sue
- Josephine Tatum
- Josephine Tess
- Josephine Vera
- Josephine Violet
- Josephine Willow
- Josephine Wren
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How To Pick a Middle Name
Do You Need A Middle Name?
In short, no. You do not need to give your child a middle name. You can choose to only give your child a first name and last name. There are no laws or requirements in regard to middle names.
However, according to research in the European Journal of Social Psychology, using middle initials in your name increases people’s perception of your intelligence.
Providing your child with a middle name will help differentiate them from others who share their same name. It also gives them a second option. Some children choose to go by their middle names instead of their first names as they grow older.
We all know how important it is to find the perfect name for our children. But did you know that in some cultures, middle names can be used as a way to give your child an additional identity? A new connection with their family history or heritage.
Here we will explore the things you should consider when giving your children a middle name!
Family Names
A child’s middle name is a great way to honor a beloved family member. It could be someone who has passed or a living family member who means a lot to the parents. Middle names don’t need to be gender-specific, so this could be a good place to include male or female family members.
Some parents like to include family surnames, such as the mother’s maiden name, as a middle name. This allows both sides of the family to pass down their name to the child. Any name that is meaningful to the family can make a nice middle name.
Flow and Initials
Probably the most important thing parents think of when choosing their child’s name is how it all sounds together. The first, middle, and last name should flow nicely together.
Many popular middle names are short, one or two syllable names because they pair well with most first names.
If family members speak another language or have an accent, take into consideration how everyone will be pronouncing the names when determining how they fit together
Monograms are popular in Southern culture, but it is still helpful to consider your child’s initials regardless of where you live.
Monograms for women are typically in the order of first name initial, large last name initial, and then middle name initial.
For men, the initials are usually in order of first, middle, and then last name. Avoid spelling out unfortunate words with the initials.
Middle names and their initials can also be used for nicknames. For example, Mary Elizabeth can be shortened to Mary Beth. Or, Elizabeth Zoe can be shortened to the initials E. Z. As a nickname.
If you just can’t narrow it down to a first name and a middle name, you can always include multiple middle names. In the United States, most people only have one middle name, but it is common around the world to have two or more.
It is recommended not to add too many middle names though. Most paperwork only leaves a spot for a single middle name or initial and multiple names can lead to confusion.
Special Meanings
A child’s middle name is a great way to pay homage to anything that holds special meaning to the parents. Some inspiration for names includes:
- Influential people in your life
- Characters from books, movies, or television
- Locations that hold memories
- Languages that are important to the family
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First Name for Middle Name Josephine
Josephine is a name that works so beautifully as a middle name. Pairing well with a variety of first name options, we’ve narrowed down our favorites here.
- Aaliyah Josephine
- Abigail Josephine
- Alexandra Josephine
- Amelia Josephine
- Ariana Josephine
- Ariella Josephine
- Beatrice Josephine
- Bianca Josephine
- Brianna Josephine
- Braelyn Josephine
- Brooklynn Josephine
- Camila Josephine
- Charlie Josephine
- Charlotte Josephine
- Cordelia Josephine
- Daphne Josephine
- Delilah Josephine
- Destiny Josephine
- Diana Josephine
- Dorothy Josephine
- Eleanor Josephine
- Eliana Josephine
- Ella Josephine
- Elizabeth Josephine
- Emma Josephine
- Felicity Josephine
- Francesca Josephine
- Freya Josephine
- Gabriella Josephine
- Gemma Josephine
- Genevieve Josephine
- Gianna Josephine
- Gracelynn Josephine
- Hannah Josephine
- Haylee Josephine
- Hazel Josephine
- Heidi Josephine
- Isabella Josephine
- Isla Josephine
- Jacqueline Josephine
- Jenna Josephine
- Jennifer Josephine
- Jessica Josephine
- Juliana Josephine
- Katherine Josephine
- Kennedy Josephine
- Khloe Josephine
- Layla Josephine
- Leah Josephine
- Leilani Josephine
- Liliana Josephine
- Lucy Josephine
- Luna Josephine
- Madelyn Josephine
- Margaret Josephine
- Melanie Josephine
- Mia Josephine
- Molly Josephine
- Naomi Josephine
- Natalie Josephine
- Nora Josephine
- Olivia Josephine
- Penelope Josephine
- Phoebe Josephine
- Piper Josephine
- Priscilla Josephine
- Rayna Josephine
- Rebecca Josephine
- Ruby Josephine
- Rylee Josephine
- Sadie Josephine
- Savannah Josephine
- Scarlett Josephine
- Sophia Josephine
- Theresa Josephine
- Tiana Josephine
- Tiffany Josephine
- Victoria Josephine
- Vivianne Josephine
- Waverly Josephine
- Willow Josephine
- Zoey Josephine
Nicknames for Josephine
- Fi
- Fifi
- J
- Jo
- Jojo
- Josa
- Josie
- Joephy
- Joey
- Phinie
- Posie
- Sefi
- Sefina
- Sephine
Variations of Josephine
- Jozefien, Josefien, Fien (Dutch)
- Josephine, Josephin (English)
- Joséphine, Fifi, Josette, Josiane (French)
- Josefine (German)
- Ιωσηφίνα, Io̱si̱fína (Greek)
- Jozefina, Jozefin, Jozefa (Hungarian)
- Giuseppina (Italian)
- Józefina (Polish)
- Josefina (Portuguese)
- Жозефина, Zhozefina (Russian)
- Josefina (Spanish)
Names Similar to Josephine
- Alice
- Amelia
- Beatrice
- Caroline
- Cecilia
- Charlotte
- Clara
- Clementine
- Cordelia
- Daphne
- Edith
- Eleanore
- Eliza
- Elizabeth
- Eloise
- Evangeline
- Evelyn
- Florence
- Genevieve
- Georgia
- Greta
- Hazel
- Iris
- Juliet
- Louisa
- Maisy
- Margaret
- Matilda
- Maureen
- Penelope
- Phoebe
- Rose
- Rosie
- Ruby
- Sora
- Stella
- Violet
Sibling Boy Names that go with Josephine
- Josephine and Alexander
- Josephine and Andrew
- Josephine and Benjamin
- Josephine and Casper
- Josephine and Charles
- Josephine and Desmond
- Josephine and Edward
- Josephine and Emmanuel
- Josephine and Felix
- Josephine and Graham
- Josephine and Hudson
- Josephine and Isaiah
- Josephine and Jaxon
- Josephine and Kayden
- Josephine and Lincoln
- Josephine and Maddox
- Josephine and Nathaniel
- Josephine and Nicolas
- Josephine and Otis
- Josephine and Preston
- Josephine and Rupert
- Josephine and Ryder
- Josephine and Sebastian
- Josephine and Thomas
- Josephine and William
Sibling Girl Names that go with Josephine
- Josephine and Adelaide
- Josephine and Alice
- Josephine and Beatrice
- Josephine and Ceicilia
- Josephine and Delilah
- Josephine and Dorothy
- Josephine and Estelle
- Josephine and Fiona
- Josephine and Genevieve
- Josephine and Hazel
- Josephine and Iris
- Josephine and Joanna
- Josephine and Kennedy
- Josephine and Liliana
- Josephine and Lorraine
- Josephine and Maxine
- Josephine and Naomi
- Josephine and Olivia
- Josephine and Penelope
- Josephine and Rosei
- Josephine and Sylvia
- Josephine and Tabitha
- Josephine and Theresa
- Josephine and Vivienne
- Josephine and Zoey
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History of the Name Josephine
Josephine began gaining popularity after 1800 because of Joséphine de Beauharnais. She was a French noblewoman who was Napoleon’s mistress and later became his wife gaining the title of Empress of the French.
According to the Social Security Administration, Josephine was extremely popular in the early 1900s. It wasn’t until 1943, that the name dropped below a top 100 choice for female given names. The name continued to decline until 1990 when it started to climb up the baby name charts again.
As of 2021, Josephine ranks as the 72nd most popular girl’s name in the United States.
Famous People with the Name Josephine
| 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 Joséphine of Lorraine | Princess of Carignano |
| Josephine of Rosenborg | Countess, member of Denmark’s Royal Family |
| Princess Josephine of Baden | Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen |
| Princess Joséphine Caroline of Belgium | wife of Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern |
| Princess Josephine of Denmark | Danish princess |
| Josefine Balluck | Austrian-American actor who played a munchkin in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz |
| Josephine Brunsvik | Hungarian countess, most likely Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved |
| Josephine Langford | Australian actress in Netflix film Moxie |
| Josephine Skriver | Danish Victoria Secret model |
Fictional Characters Named Josephine
| Josephine | Captain Corcoran’s daughter in the comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore |
| Josephine Anwhistle | a fictional character in the series of novels A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket |
| Josephine Balsamo | a.k.a. Countess Cagliosto, antagonist of Arsène Lupin in novels |
| Josephine Bloom | a character played by Marion Cotillard in the film Big Fish |
| Dr Josephine Jo Karev | in the television series Grey’s Anatomy |
| Josephine “Lena” Duchannes | second protagonist of the novel series Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl |
| Josephine Ada Lightbourne | a character in the television series The 100 |
| Josephine “Jo” March | protagonist of the novel Little Women |
| Josephine “Pepi” Mutzenbacher | protagonist of the novel Josephine Mutzenbacher |
| Josephine Joey Potter | in the television series Dawson’s Creek |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Josephine a biblical name?
The name Josephine is not a given name found in the bible and it does not have biblical ties.
Is Josie short for Josephine?
Yes. Josie is a nickname that some parents use for the name Josephine.
Is Josephine a rare name?
The name Josephine was popular in the early 1900’s and has continued to gain renewed popularity since 1990. Currently, Josephine ranks as the 72nd most popular girl’s name in America since 2021.
Final Thoughts on Middle Names for Josephine
Josephine is an old fashioned name with a sweet and feminine feel to it. It is easy to see what parents have gravitated towards this name since the 1990s.
If you’re considering naming your little girl Josephine, we hope our list of middle names helps you find the perfect combination for your daughter.
MORE MIDDLE NAME IDEAS
Now that you’ve seen all the middle name ideas for Josephine, you might want to check out some middle name ideas for these similar names!
- Middle Names for Cecilia
- Middle Names for Clara
- Middle Names for Josie
- Middle Names for Margaret
- Middle Names for Penelope
If you’re looking for more middle name ideas, you can find all our lists in our Middle Names section.
For more baby name ideas and inspiration head over to our Baby Names section.