Total births
4,062
Girls' name · since 1881
Josefa
Since 1881, U.S. Social Security records show 4,062 babies named Josefa, peaking in 1925. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6397
- among girls today
- 4,062
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 64%
- more common than other girls
4,062 babies have been named Josefa since 1881, making it today's #6397 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Josefa recorded 4,062 times among girls since 1881, holding rank #6397 nationally today, ahead of 64% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #6397 among girls today
- 4,062 born since 1881
- 1920s peak decade
- 64% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Josefa is currently the #6397 girls' name in America, more common than 64% of girls - 4,062 born since 1881, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6397
- among girls today
- 4,062
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 64%
- more common than other girls
Josefa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6397
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 64% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Josefa was born in this single decade.
1925
Single peak year
84 babies were named Josefa in 1925 - its busiest year on record.
How Josefa compares
4,062 Top 15% higher than 85% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Josefa's all-time total is 11x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Josefa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,062 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 84 | 48 | 19,840 |
Josefa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Josefa splits its recorded history at 1953: 34% of all births land in the more recent half, 66% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1925 peak of 84 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Josefa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1925
Current rank
#6,397
Active since
1881
Josefa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1925)
- 84
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Josefa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Josefa's strongest decade.
726 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Josefa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 88
1880s
88 births
- 1890s 192
1890s
192 births
- 1900s 230
1900s
230 births
- 1910s
1910s
482 births
- 1920s
1920s
726 births
- 1930s
1930s
498 births
- 1940s
1940s
372 births
- 1950s
1950s
343 births
- 1960s 278
1960s
278 births
- 1970s 239
1970s
239 births
- 1980s 197
1980s
197 births
- 1990s 157
1990s
157 births
- 2000s 103
2000s
103 births
- 2010s 91
2010s
91 births
- 2020s 66
2020s
66 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 726 births (18% of all-time use).
How Josefa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Josefa's total volume
Josefa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Josefa by state
Where Josefa concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,150 | 52.9% |
| #2 | California | | 178 | 4.4% |
| #3 | New Mexico | | 53 | 1.3% |
| #4 | Arizona | | 27 | 0.7% |
| #5 | New York | | 23 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 11 | 0.3% |
Texas share of Josefa's total US births 52.9%
Even split
2,150 of 4,062 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Josefa? ▼
4,062 babies have been named Josefa since 1881. It currently ranks #6397 among girls. The peak year was 1925 with 84 births.
When was Josefa most popular? ▼
Josefa was most popular in the 1920s decade with 726 total births. The single peak year was 1925.
Where is Josefa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Josefa are Texas (2,150 births), California (178 births), New Mexico (53 births).
How long has the name Josefa been used? ▼
Records for Josefa go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Josefa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Josephine, Josie, Joselyn, Josefina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Josefa's data
- Josefa's decade-level peak was the 1920s (726 total births); usage has since declined to 66 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Josefas (2,150 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Josefa
Nearby Names Like Josefa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Josefa
Josephine Girl
#56 331,467 births
Josie Girl
#88 75,370 births
Joselyn Girl
#1207 18,214 births
Josefina Girl
#2054 13,932 births
Joslyn Girl
#2253 11,227 births
Compare Josefa side by side: Josefa vs Josephine Josefa vs Josie Josefa vs Joselyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Josefa
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Josefa: #6397 Girls' Name - 4,062 Births, Peak 1925." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/josefa. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Josefa draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.