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Josie

Girl name · 330 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Josie: 330 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 26 births in 2024.

Josie is a diminutive of Josephine, the feminine form of Joseph, which traces to the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning “he will add” or “God will increase.” Among its most famous bearers is the groundbreaking American singer and actress Josie Cotton, whose 1982 new wave hit “He’s a Stranger” became an MTV staple, as well as the fictional Josie McCoy from the Josie and the Pussycats comic and cartoon series, who helped popularise the name. Though not directly tied to a place, Josie shares its root with numerous towns called Joseph City or Saint-Joseph worldwide. In Scotland, this friendly, vintage-chic name saw a gentle revival in the early 2000s, often chosen as a standalone rather than a nickname—a trend also seen with its Irish variant, Josie.