Meaning:
Its source is Yosef, a Hebrew name meaning "The Lord's addition (to the family)."
Popularity:
The name Josette ranked 1328th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.
Narrative:
The Latin-influenced Josephina has never been as popular as Josephine, which originated as a French nickname.
The Empress Joséphine of France (1763-1814) was born Marie Josèphe. For her, there was irony in the meaning of the name.
Joséphine married General Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796, perhaps gambling that his was a rising star. She could not have anticipated he would become emperor and she would preside over his court.
In 1809, to Joséphine's shock, the emperor had their marriage annulled on a technicality, partly because of her failure to produce an heir. Though he married an Austrian princess for purposes of state, some say he never stopped loving his first wife. Defeated, exiled and dying, his last words were reported as ''Joséphine, Joséphine!''
