NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Josette

A French feminine name meaning "Jehovah increases" or "she will add".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Josette is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Josette popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 4 births.

This profile covers 25 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. 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.

The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 25 living people in the UK are called Josette. 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 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Josette ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 4 girls were registered as Josette.
  • About 25 living people in the UK are estimated to have Josette as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5581

2021

Births in 2021

3

Latest year

Peak year

1996

4 births

Estimated living

25

2026

Meaning

What does Josette mean?

The name Josette originated from the French language and culture. It is a diminutive form of the name Josephine, which is the feminine version of the masculine name Joseph. Joseph is derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "he will add" or "he will increase."

The name Josette first appeared in France during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. It was a popular name among French nobility and aristocracy during this time period. The earliest recorded example of the name Josette dates back to the 14th century, when it was mentioned in a French literary work.

One of the most famous historical figures with the name Josette was Josette Day, a French actress and singer who lived from 1914 to 1978. She was known for her role in the 1938 film "La Marseillaise" and her performances in various French cabarets and music halls.

Another notable Josette in history was Josette Frank, a French Resistance fighter during World War II. Born in 1917, she risked her life to help Allied soldiers escape from Nazi-occupied France. She was captured and executed by the Nazis in 1944.

In the world of literature, Josette is the name of a character in the novel "The Black Tulip" by Alexandre Dumas. Published in 1850, the novel is set in the Netherlands during the 17th century and follows the story of a horticulturist's quest to create the perfect black tulip.

The name Josette also appears in religious texts, such as the Bible. In the Book of Joshua, there is a reference to a town called Beth-shemesh, which means "house of the sun" in Hebrew. Some scholars believe that this town's name may be related to the name Josette, as it could be derived from the Hebrew word "shemesh," meaning "sun."

Another historical figure with the name Josette was Josette Bauer, a Swiss artist and painter who lived from 1904 to 1992. She was known for her abstract expressionist works and her involvement in the Zurich Dada movement of the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Josette over time

The chart below shows babies named Josette registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Josette, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Josette
01234199620082021

Decades

Josette by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Josette 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
2020s #5581 3 1
2010s #4688 4 1
2000s #4098 11 3
1990s #3487 7 2

Related

Names similar to Josette

FAQ

Josette: questions and answers

How popular is the name Josette in the UK right now?

In 2021, Josette was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Josette most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 4 babies registered as Josette in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Josette?

A French feminine name meaning "Jehovah increases" or "she will add".

How many people are called Josette in the UK?

A total of 25 babies have been registered as Josette across the 7 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.