Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1925

Josefa

Meaning Josefa is a given name Gender Girl Rank 2025 #8,590

Josefa is a given name. It can be both feminine and masculine.

Rank 2025
#8,590
among girls · ↓2,078 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
12
named Josefa
How common
1 in 133,939
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1925
84 babies
All-time total
4,062
#2,953 all-time among girls
First recorded
1881
in Social Security records

Josefa popularity over time

4,062 babies have been named Josefa since 1881, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1890Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 88 9 – #583
1890s 192 19 +118% #554
1900s 230 23 +20% #671
1910s 482 48 +110% #701
1920s 726 73 +51% #811
1930s 498 50 -31% #807
1940s 372 37 -25% #1,084
1950s 343 34 -8% #1,485
1960s 278 28 -19% #1,930
1970s 239 24 -14% #2,470
1980s 197 20 -18% #3,188
1990s 157 16 -20% #4,946
2000s 103 10 -34% #7,610
2010s 91 9 -12% #7,237
2020s (to 2025) 66 11 +21% #6,512

The story of Josefa

Josefa is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #8,590 in 2025 with 12 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1881, 4,062 American babies have been named Josefa. Its peak came in 1925, when 84 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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 Josefa stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Josefa?

The median living Josefa is about 57 years old; half are between 37 and 74. An estimated 1,800 people named Josefa are alive in the United States today.

median 57 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Josefa year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 12 #8,590
2024 18 #6,512
2023 9 #10,701
2022 13 #8,253
2021 8 #11,593
2020 6 #14,209
2019 5 #16,668
2018 16 #7,237
2017 9 #11,113
2016 10 #10,443
2015 6 #15,363
2014 6 #15,502
2013 6 #15,486
2012 11 #10,039
2011 13 #8,874
2010 9 #11,712
2009 6 #16,129
2008 16 #7,910
2007 12 #9,829
2006 6 #16,043
2005 9 #11,325
2004 9 #11,133
2003 9 #10,824
2002 14 #7,610
2001 12 #8,450
2000 10 #9,496
1995 18 #5,305
1990 19 #4,946
1985 26 #3,362
1980 18 #4,212
1975 17 #3,840
1970 30 #2,470
1965 23 #2,567
1960 29 #2,168
1955 29 #1,998
1950 39 #1,485
1945 26 #1,633
1940 45 #1,084
1935 45 #1,033
1930 63 #922
1925 84 #811
1920 66 #899
1915 57 #867
1910 35 #713
1905 22 #789
1900 19 #874
1895 28 #570
1890 23 #554
1885 11 #677
1880 – –

Famous people named Josefa

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Josefa Iloilo Josefa Iloilo President of Fiji from 2000 to 2009 1920–2011 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Josefa de Óbidos Josefa de Óbidos Spanish-born Portuguese painter 1630–1684 · 17th century
  3. 3 Josefa Idem Josefa Idem German-born Italian canoeist and politician b. 1964 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Josefa Francisco Women's rights activist (1954–2015) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Josefa, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Josefa?

The median living Josefa is about 57 years old. Half of all living Josefas are between 37 and 74 years old.

How many people named Josefa are alive today?

An estimated 1,800 people named Josefa are alive in the United States, based on 4,062 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Josefa mean?

Josefa is a given name. It can be both feminine and masculine.

How popular is the name Josefa in 2025?

Josefa ranked #8,590 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 12 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Josefa?

4,062 babies have been named Josefa in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Josefa most popular?

Josefa peaked in 1925, when 84 newborns received the name.

Is Josefa a boy or girl name?

Josefa is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Josefa rising or falling?

Josefa is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Josefa?

Well-known people named Josefa include Josefa Iloilo (politician), Josefa de Óbidos (painter), Josefa Idem (politician).

Names like Josefa

Names that sound and feel close to Josefa: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Josefa with similar names → More names starting with J →