| Josephine | Anne | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God shall add | grace, favour |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | JOH-suh-feen | AN |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1918 (8,682) | 1959 (5,745) |
| In 2025 | 4,126 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Josephine | Anne |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 20,976 | 2,936 |
| 2010s | 23,960 | 5,291 |
| 2000s | 13,924 | 7,806 |
| 1990s | 7,059 | 14,472 |
| 1980s | 4,732 | 22,115 |
| 1970s | 5,154 | 25,602 |
| 1960s | 9,317 | 47,774 |
| 1950s | 16,412 | 52,404 |
| 1940s | 24,324 | 36,146 |
| 1930s | 36,051 | 28,621 |
| 1920s | 69,223 | 34,511 |
| 1910s | 61,355 | 33,478 |
| 1900s | 18,785 | 7,615 |
| 1890s | 12,463 | 4,231 |
| 1880s | 7,732 | 2,126 |
The feminine of Joseph, from the Hebrew, “God shall add.” Borne by Napoleon’s empress.
The French and English form of Anna, ultimately from Hebrew 'Channah' (Hannah) meaning grace or favour. Long popular through St Anne, traditionally named as the mother of Mary.
Josephine is more popular than Anne today: about 4,126 US babies were given the name Josephine in 2025, compared with 0 named Anne.
Josephine means God shall add (Hebrew origin), while Anne means grace, favour (hebrew origin).
In US records, Josephine first appears in 1880 and Anne in 0, so Anne has the longer recorded history.