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Summary
- No one named Josephine appears in the Bible; it is the English spelling of the French Joséphine, a feminine form of Joseph.
- Joseph comes from the Hebrew Yosef, “he will add,” and Genesis 30:23–24 explains the name in Rachel’s words.
- The Bible’s Josephs include the son of Jacob (Genesis 37–50), the husband of Mary (Matthew 1) and Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27).
- Joséphine began as a French diminutive of Josèphe and spread after 1800 through Napoleon’s first wife.
- Saint Josephine Bakhita (about 1869–1947), a former slave from Sudan, was canonized in 2000; her feast is 8 February.
- Saint Giuseppina (Josephine) Vannini, founder of the Daughters of Saint Camillus, was canonized in 2019.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Behind the Name, “Josephine,” “Joséphine,” “Josèphe,” “Joseph,” “Josefina,” “Josefine,” “Giuseppina” and “Josie,” with United States popularity figures from Social Security Administration data. https://www.behindthename.com/name/josephine
- “Josephine (given name),” “Joséphine de Beauharnais” and “Joseph (Genesis),” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9phine_de_Beauharnais
- Holy See, Office of Liturgical Celebrations, biography of Josephine Bakhita for her canonization on 1 October 2000. https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20001001_giuseppina-bakhita_en.html
- “Josephine Bakhita,” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Bakhita
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “February 8th: International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking.” https://www.usccb.org/committees/administrative/february-8th-international-day-prayer-and-awareness-against-human
- Vatican News, “Giuseppina Vannini: From being an orphan to caring for the sick” (October 2019). https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2019-10/biography-giuseppina-vannini-orphan-to-carer-for-sick.html
- “Giuseppina Nicoli” and “Josephine Butler,” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Butler
- Nominis, Église catholique en France, “Joséphine.” https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/prenom/236/Jos%C3%A9phine.html
- Scripture quotation: Genesis 30:23–24, English Standard Version. References: Genesis 37–50; Matthew 1:18–25; 27:57–60.
