Josephine is of Latin origin, derived from the Latin word 'Josephus', which means 'God shall increase'. It is a feminine variation of Joseph, a popular biblical name. The name gained prominence in the 19th century through Napoleon Bonaparte's wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, who became Empress of France.
Josephine was a popular name between 1909 and 2005, with the highest number of births occurring in 1918 (17 births) and the lowest in several years with just 5 births each.