UK girl's name
Josepha
Feminine form of Joseph, a Hebrew name meaning "He will add".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2006. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Josepha is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Josepha popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2006 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4157, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 4 births.
This profile covers 4 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2006 to 2006. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Josepha is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 4 living people in the UK are called Josepha. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2007 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Josepha ranked #4157 for girls in England and Wales in 2006, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 4 girls were registered as Josepha.
- • About 4 living people in the UK are estimated to have Josepha as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4157
2006
Births in 2006
4
Latest year
Peak year
2006
4 births
Estimated living
4
2026
Meaning
What does Josepha mean?
Josepha is a feminine given name derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "he will add" or "he will increase". The name has its origins in the biblical figure Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel, whose story is told in the Book of Genesis.
The name Josepha gained popularity in the early Christian era, particularly among European Christians. It was used as a feminine form of the name Joseph, reflecting the reverence for Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus Christ. The name was widely adopted in various European countries, including France, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Josepha dates back to the 4th century, when a Christian martyr named Josepha was executed during the Diocletian Persecution in Antioch, modern-day Turkey. Her story is recounted in the Acta Sanctorum, a collection of lives of saints.
In the Middle Ages, the name Josepha was borne by several notable women, such as Josepha of Bavaria (1672-1689), a Bavarian princess and the daughter of Elector Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria. Another notable figure was Josepha of Leuchtenberg (1807-1876), a Bavarian princess who married Oscar I, King of Sweden and Norway.
During the Renaissance period, the name Josepha gained further prominence. One of the most famous bearers was Josepha of Rosheim (1501-1572), a German abbess and mystic who played a significant role in the Catholic Reformation in Alsace.
In the 18th century, Josepha Maria of Bavaria (1739-1767) was a Bavarian princess who became the Electress of the Palatinate through her marriage to Elector Karl Theodor. Additionally, Josepha of Saxe-Altenburg (1805-1859) was a German princess and the wife of Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany.
The name Josepha has also been used in various literary works, including the play "Josepha" by Franz Grillparzer, an Austrian writer and dramatist from the 19th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Josepha by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Josepha was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #4157 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Josepha
- Jessica 105,041
- Jasmine 35,227
- Jade 19,646
- Julia 11,780
- Jennifer 11,529
- Jodie 9,357
- Jemima 6,454
- Josephine 5,889
- Jessie 5,418
- Josie 5,284
- Jasmin 4,706
- Jenna 4,646
FAQ
Josepha: questions and answers
How popular is the name Josepha in the UK right now?
In 2006, Josepha was ranked #4157 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Josepha most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 4 babies registered as Josepha in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Josepha?
Feminine form of Joseph, a Hebrew name meaning "He will add".
How many people are called Josepha in the UK?
A total of 4 babies have been registered as Josepha across the 1 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.