Josey

♀ Girl

Pronounced JOH-zee /ˈdʒoʊ.zi/High

Meaning: God will increase, God will addHigh

In 30 seconds: Josey is a warm diminutive of Josephine meaning God will increase. A cheerful vintage nickname with a friendly approachable quality and a frontier spirit.

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Origin HighHebrew, English

MeaningGod will increase, God will add

U.S. rank (2025)#2793 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births61 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2012

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,229

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Josey is a variant spelling of Josie, the diminutive of Josephine, from the Hebrew Yosef meaning God will increase or God will add.

Josey has appeared as a variant spelling of Josie in birth records. It has a Western frontier quality through Clint Eastwood's film The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Did you know? The song Jolene by Dolly Parton (1973) is part of the rich tradition of J-ey ending name songs showing how names like Josey carry a built-in musical warmth.

Overall data confidence 85%

Hanks & Hodges, Dictionary of First Names — reference for JoseyBehind the Name: Josephine — name etymology reference

Variations

JosieJosephineJosef

Nicknames

JosJo

Famous Bearers

★Josey Wales (fictional)
Title character of the 1976 Western film The Outlaw Josey Wales, played and directed by Clint Eastwood.

If you like Josey…

Josie— standard spelling of same name

Josephine— full form of same name

Rosie— vintage -ie nickname name with similar warmth

Daisy— similarly sweet vintage feminine nickname

Winnie— vintage -ie nickname name of same style

Explore names like Josey

By themeenglish hebrew two-syllable vintage nickname

By meaningGod / Divine

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does Josey mean?

Josey means God will increase or God will add, as a diminutive of Josephine/Joseph from the Hebrew Yosef.

How do you pronounce Josey?

Josey is pronounced JOH-zee (/ˈdʒoʊ.zi/), with two syllables.

Is Josey a girl's name?

Yes, Josey is used as a girl's name, a variant spelling of Josie.

How popular is the name Josey?

Josey is an uncommon variant of Josie that appears in records as a warm vintage choice.