Holding steady.
Popularity of Josepha since 1888
Babies named Josepha per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1925, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Josepha's real moment was 1894.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 6 |
| 1890s | 30 |
| 1900s | 6 |
| 1910s | 77 |
| 1920s | 77 |
| 1930s | 48 |
| 1940s | 32 |
| 1950s | 59 |
| 1960s | 24 |
| 1970s | 13 |
| 1980s | 18 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 12 |
| 2010s | 5 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Josepha is a feminine form of the classic name Joseph, which has deep biblical roots. The name first appeared in U.S. records for girls in 1888, and its most popular year was 1894, reflecting a late Victorian taste for feminine variants of male saints' names. Since then, its usage has declined steeply; it does not appear in recent Social Security data, indicating fewer than 5 births per year in recent decades. The trajectory is stable at these low levels, and no U.S. states show notable concentrations. Josepha offers a distinctive alternative to the more common Josephine, preserving the original Hebrew meaning while carrying a vintage charm.
Josepha is the feminine form of Joseph, derived from the Hebrew name Yosef meaning 'he will add' or 'Jehovah increases.' The name appears in the Old Testament as the popular son of Jacob and Rachel. While the masculine Joseph has been widely used across Christian, Jewish, and Muslim cultures, Josepha emerged as a feminine variant in the 19th century, particularly in English-speaking countries and Catholic communities honoring Saint Joseph.
“Josepha” around the world
Where Josepha lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Josie, Jo, Phia
Sibling names for Josepha
Names that share Josepha's style, for a brother or sister.
