Nicknames for Josephine: Popular Josie, Surprisng Finn

Nicknames for Josephine aren’t required.

Josephine works well in full, a lovely classic name that’s just plain fun to say.

But nicknames can add some versatility, helping your daughter transform her name to better fit her personality. They can help transition from childhood to adult.

And if you happen to be one of two or more Josephines? These nicknames might take you back to being the only one with your name again. After all, Josephine is a popular name, appearing in the US Top 100 since 2018.

That’s the strength of a longer, classic name. Creative nickname options help tailor-make a name. That’s true for plenty of longer names for our daughters, including Elizabeth, Victoria, and Catherine/Katherine, but also Penelope, Eleanor, and yes, Josephine.

Worth noting: this name is a true classic. It’s a feminine form of the enduring Joseph, a Hebrew name meaning “Jehovah increases.”

No single feminine form dominated – at least not until the nineteenth century when we met Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais.  

Napoleon’s bride was born Marie Josèphe (or possibly Marie-Josephe-Rose) but was known as Josephine. 

Forms of Josephine now appear in most European languages, and some nicknames might follow from specific variations. 

FAMOUS PEOPLE NAMED JOSEPHINE

World-changing women and unforgettable characters to answer to the name include:

• Suffragist and Civil Rights Activist  Josephine Ruffin, founder of the first national newspaper published by and for African-American women.
• Legendary dancer, singer and actress  Josephine Baker lends the name some indelible style. American by birth, she became famous performing in the cabarets of Paris.
• English writer Josephine Bell authored over fifty mystery and crime novels in the twentieth century. 
• Fiction gives us Josephine Anwhistle, from A Series of Unfortunate Events, and, of course, the admirably headstrong Jo March of Little Women fame.
• Besides the French empress, royals include more than one princess of Belgium, as well as Princess Josephine of Denmark, daughter of King Frederik X and Queen Mary. Her full name: Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda.
• Australian actress. Josephine Langford is a familiar face now, appearing in successful series like After. 
• Singer  Josephine Foster is known for her genre-defying mix of folk, blues, and beyond.

Possibilities abound. From the obvious to the well-why-not, let’s look at the best of the nicknames for Josephine.

EFFIE

Joseph ends with a strong “ef” sound, and it’s present in Josephine, too. Effie is traditionally associated with Euphemia, but it might work for Josephine, too.

FIFI

Some of the most interesting Josephine nicknames come from the F sound in the name’s final syllable. If Fee can be short for Fiona, surely Fifi works for Josephine? And it’s a very French nickname, mais oui!

FINA, PHINA

If Fifi is French, Fina feels more Spanish. That’s because Josephine becomes Josefina in Spanish – but also in Swedish. Slavic languages often use Jozefina. There’s no reason Fina – or Phina – couldn’t work for Josephine, too.

FIN, FINN

Love the idea of a boyish nickname in the key of Joey, but want something a little more modern? In many ways, Finn is the modern answer to Jo. Finn might feel like a stretch from Josephine, but the sounds are all but there. Forms like the Swedish Josefin make it seem even more logical.

INA

While it stands on its own – think Ina Garten – it also works for any name ending with -ina or -ine. Josefina and Josephina make the Ina option even more obvious.

JO

Little Women makes Jo a literary and beloved choice for shortening Josephine. Characters modeled on Jo March are many. In the 1980s, long-running sitcom The Facts of Life gave us a modern update to Jo. (Though her full name was Joanna Polniaczek.) Grey’s Anatomy includes Josephine “Jo” Wilson.

JODI , JODIE, JODY

Originally a masculine nickname for Joseph, Jodie – pick your spelling – has long been a unisex option. It’s a little bit of a 1970s throwback.

JOEY

We all know Alexandra called Alex and Charlotte called Charlie, so Josephine called Joey seems logical, too. If you grew up with Dawson’s Creek, you’ll remember the show’s Joey Potter – Josephine Lillian Potter, played by a young Katie Holmes.

JOJO

Controversial dancer-turned-YouTube star JoJo Siwa was born Joelle Joanie, but Jojo works for Josephine, too.

JOSETTE

American parents likely see this as a separate name, but in French, Josette is short for Josephine.

JOSIE

If there’s a default nickname for Josephine, it’s Josie. Steely Dan and Blink-182 have both recorded songs titled “Josie.” Drew Barrymore played a Josie in Never Been Kissed. Anne of Green Gables gave us Josie Pye. And Archie Comics gave us all-girl rock band Josie and the Pussycats, who have been re-invented as an animated television series (in space, even) as well as characters on Riverdale. Just Josie is almost as popular as Josephine.

JOSS

Take the Jos from Josephine, change the o-like-go to an o-like-moss, and you have one of those great unexpected Josephine nicknames.

PIP, PIPPA

Thanks to the British royals, we all know that Pippa is short for Philippa. But if Pepe is a Spanish nickname for Joseph, Pippa might just work for Josephine.

POSIE, POSY, POSEY, POESY

Poetic and pan-botanical Posy seems like a stretch from Josephine. But consider Pepe, the well-known diminutive for the Spanish form of the name, José. In Italian, Josephine becomes Giuseppina. Take the Jos, swap the ‘J’ for a ‘P’ and there you have it.

As for the spellings, a posy is a small bouquet of flowers, or a sentimental line of verse. Poesy also refers to poetry. The most popular spelling of them all? Posie.

SEPHIE

Stephanie shortens to Steffie. So why not Josephine called Sephie? The sound makes sense.

SOPHIE

An independent name, Sophie isn’t usually connected to Josephine. But the sounds are all there.

SOSIE

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon gave this name to their daughter way back in 1992. But what does Sosie mean, and where did it come from? It’s unclear, but Sosie might be short for any of the Susan names, or maybe Sophia. But it also qualifies as one of the unexpected Josephine nicknames.

What are your favorite nicknames for Josephine? 

First published on July 20, 2016, this post was revised on May 11, 2020; September 9, 2021; and September 7, 2024.