Josie

♂ Boy

Pronounced JOH-zee /ˈdʒoʊ.zi/Medium

Meaning: Usually a girl's name (a pet form of Josephine) but here a boy's short form of Joseph, from the Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add; God will add.' Both routes given; cross-sex lean noted honestly.Low

In 30 seconds: A warm short form: for a boy Josie shortens Joseph, 'he will add' (said 'JOH-zee'). More often a girl's name — we note the lean.

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Origin LowEnglish, Hebrew

MeaningUsually a girl's name (a pet form of Josephine) but here a boy's short form of Joseph, from the Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add; God will add.' Both routes given; cross-sex lean noted honestly.

U.S. rank (2023)#7492 ↗ Rising

2023 U.S. births11 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1987

Total births (all-time)≈ 533

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

As a boy's name Josie is a friendly short form of Joseph, from the Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add; God will add.' Far more often, though, it is a girl's name from Josephine. We give both routes and note the lean honestly — rare for boys in the U.S. (said 'JOH-zee').

For boys it appears very rarely, well behind its use for girls. Rare for boys, warm, and familiar.

Did you know? Josie is best known as a girl's name (short for Josephine), but in some families it is a boy's short form of Joseph — Hebrew for 'he will add' — and we note the cross-sex lean honestly (said 'JOH-zee').

Overall data confidence 42%

References — Josie — short for Joseph / Josephine; cross-sex, girl-leaning

Variations

JoseyJosiJosie

Nicknames

JosJoey

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Josie…

Joey— a like Joseph short form

Jody— a like unisex short name

Joss— a like short Jo- name

Jonah— a like warm Hebrew name

Explore names like Josie

By themehebrew short cross-sex unisex-lean-girl

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Josie mean?

Josie here is a boy's short form of Joseph ('he will add'); it is more often a girl's name (from Josephine), which we note.

How do you pronounce Josie?

It's said JOH-zee /ˈdʒoʊ.zi/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Josie a boy or girl name?

Josie is used for both; it is more often a girl's name, and we note the lean here to a boy.

How popular is Josie?

Josie is an extremely rare name for boys in the U.S.