Josey
A female given name, short for Josephine.
Every Josey since 1915 — 4,248 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Josey
Josey is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,793 in 2025 with 61 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1915, 4,248 American babies have been named Josey — about 76% girls and 24% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2012, when 121 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Josey stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Josey year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 61 | #2,793 | 25 | #4,192 |
| 2024 | 80 | #2,318 | 27 | #4,025 |
| 2023 | 74 | #2,431 | 19 | #5,155 |
| 2022 | 86 | #2,199 | 21 | #4,777 |
| 2021 | 89 | #2,123 | 19 | #5,012 |
| 2020 | 84 | #2,162 | 22 | #4,485 |
| 2019 | 86 | #2,162 | 16 | #5,680 |
| 2018 | 87 | #2,172 | 16 | #5,654 |
| 2017 | 93 | #2,090 | 23 | #4,391 |
| 2016 | 78 | #2,402 | 18 | #5,223 |
| 2015 | 76 | #2,422 | 12 | #6,874 |
| 2014 | 89 | #2,146 | 17 | #5,370 |
| 2013 | 99 | #1,982 | 17 | #5,284 |
| 2012 | 106 | #1,894 | 15 | #5,842 |
| 2011 | 97 | #2,023 | 6 | #11,519 |
| 2010 | 94 | #2,102 | 15 | #5,880 |
| 2009 | 104 | #1,998 | 14 | #6,257 |
| 2008 | 88 | #2,239 | 16 | #5,624 |
| 2007 | 86 | #2,265 | 15 | #5,787 |
| 2006 | 96 | #2,057 | 10 | #7,706 |
| 2005 | 93 | #2,023 | 8 | #8,686 |
| 2004 | 69 | #2,460 | 18 | #4,687 |
| 2003 | 91 | #1,993 | 14 | #5,405 |
| 2002 | 82 | #2,089 | 18 | #4,401 |
| 2001 | 76 | #2,161 | 18 | #4,376 |
| 2000 | 97 | #1,798 | 19 | #4,130 |
| 1995 | 75 | #1,875 | 32 | #2,423 |
| 1990 | 45 | #2,621 | 38 | #1,995 |
| 1985 | 12 | #5,814 | 25 | #2,198 |
| 1980 | 19 | #4,054 | 29 | #1,932 |
| 1975 | 9 | #6,160 | — | — |
| 1970 | 6 | #7,457 | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | 6 | #4,658 | — | — |
| 1915 | 5 | #4,602 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Josey mean?
A female given name, short for Josephine.
How popular is the name Josey in 2025?
Josey ranked #2,793 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 61 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Josey?
4,248 babies have been named Josey in the United States since 1915, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Josey most popular?
Josey peaked in 2012, when 121 newborns received the name.
Is Josey a boy or girl name?
Josey is used for both: about 76% of babies named Josey have been girls and 24% boys.
Is the name Josey rising or falling?
Josey has been roughly stable over the past decade.