German/Scandinavian form of Josephine, from Hebrew Yosef meaning 'God will add.'
Josefine is the Scandinavian and German rendering of Josephine, a feminization of Joseph that arrived in European use during the eighteenth century. Joseph itself traces back to the Hebrew *Yosef*, meaning "God will add" or "he will increase"—a name of increase and abundance worn by the Old Testament patriarch whose coat of many colors and gift of dream interpretation made him one of scripture's most vivid figures. The Latin *Josephus* traveled into European languages before the feminine form was constructed, most likely in France as *Joséphine*.
The name's most luminous historical bearer is Joséphine de Beauharnais, born Marie-Josèphe-Rose Tascher de la Pagerie in Martinique, who became Napoleon Bonaparte's first wife and Empress of the French. Her influence over Napoleon was legendary—he reportedly murmured her name on his deathbed at Saint Helena—and her taste shaped the Empire style that defined an era. The name Joséphine became fashionable across Europe in her wake, a direct result of Napoleonic cultural influence radiating outward from Paris.
The Josefine spelling, prevalent in Nordic countries and German-speaking Europe, gives the name a slightly cooler, more architectural quality than the French version—less rococo, more clean-lined. It has enjoyed a substantial revival in Scandinavia over the past two decades, fitting comfortably alongside the broader appetite for substantial, historically grounded names that feel both vintage and contemporary. It shortens beautifully to Josie or Fina, offering flexibility across a lifetime.