Josey
Josey was the 2793rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 61 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 1782nd; the most babies were born in 2012 (106). Over the last ten years it has moved down 371 places. More babies were named Josey in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Josie) pet form of Josephine · English, French, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #2,793 girls, down 631 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 61girls
- Girls and boys
- 78% girls, 22% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2012106 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,248babies recorded
What does the name Josey mean?
Josey is a spelling of Josie, pronounced the same way, so it shares Josie's meaning and origin.
Josie is a pet form of Josephine, and Wikipedia and Wiktionary both describe it that way; it is now also often given as a full name. Josephine is the French feminine diminutive of Joseph, from Hebrew Yosef, which DMNES glosses 'God will increase'. In Genesis 30:24 Rachel names her son Joseph with the wish that God will add another son. Josie can also shorten other names beginning with Jos-, such as Josette.
Joséphine (French, “Josephine”)יוֹסֵף (Biblical Hebrew, “Yosef, he will add”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Josephine, Josey, Joey, Jo, Joseph.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Josie', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Josie (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joseph', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Josey popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,793 | #4,192 | 61 | 25 |
| 2020 | #2,162 | #4,485 | 84 | 22 |
| 2010 | #2,102 | #5,880 | 94 | 15 |
| 2000 | #1,798 | #4,130 | 97 | 19 |
| 1990 | #2,621 | #1,995 | 45 | 38 |
| 1980 | #4,054 | #1,932 | 19 | 29 |
| 1970 | #7,457 | — | 6 | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | #4,658 | — | 6 | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Josey, counting every spelling?
Josey is a spelling of Josie, a name family that ranked #100 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,793 for Josey on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,158 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josie | 3,021 | #82 | 12,978 |
| Josey | 61 | #2,793 | 390 |
| Jozie | 50 | #3,184 | 279 |
| Josi | 13 | #8,082 | 97 |
| Jozi | — | — | 54 |
| Jossie | 6 | #13,982 | 42 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Josey?
61 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Josey (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Josey born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 138 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Josey.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Josey?
About 3,200 people born in the US named Josey are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 10 and 28. That makes Josey mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Josey by state
How common Josey was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (1.7×). In 44 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Josey: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Josey, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Josey
What does Josey mean?
Josey is a spelling of Josie, which means “pet form of Josephine” (English, French, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Josey?
Josey was the 2793rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 61 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 1782nd; the most babies were born in 2012 (106). Over the last ten years it has moved down 371 places. More babies were named Josey in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Josey a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 78% girls, 22% boys given the name Josey in the US.
Where is Josey most popular?
In 2021–2025, Josey was most common in Texas (0.08 per 1,000 girls), followed by Louisiana and Tennessee.