How to say it
JO · sie
/ˈdʒoʊ.zi/
Feminine
Josie
He will add
What it means
Diminutive of Josephine (and of Joseph by extension), from Hebrew Yosef. Originally a nickname, now usually a standalone given name.
Josie started as a nickname for Josephine (or Joseph for boys) and graduated to a given name in its own right. The same root: Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add.' Josie and the Pussycats (the Hanna-Barbera animated series since 1970, then the 2001 live-action film) gave the name pop-culture currency. Some families use Josie as the short for Josephine; others treat it as a separate name on the birth certificate. It's been in the US top 200 since 2014. Jo and Joey are rare further shorts.
Popularity over time
peaked at #82 in 2025, currently #82 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Josie and the Pussycats (the Hanna-Barbera cartoon and the 2001 live-action film) gave Josie pop-culture residence; the children's-book Josie Smith is the gentler UK reference.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Josie (Josie and the Pussycats) Lead character of the Hanna-Barbera series since 1970
- Josie Maran American model and entrepreneur, Josie Maran Cosmetics
Spelling variants
- Josy
- Jose
Names with the same feeling
See Josie from another angle
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