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The name Josèphe is the French feminine form of Joseph, which derives from the Hebrew Yosef, meaning "he will add" or "God will increase," from the root yasaf. It corresponds to the biblical patriarch Joseph, son of Jacob, whose story is recorded in the Book of Genesis. Joséphine developed as the more widely used French feminine elaboration, while Josèphe remains a direct feminine equivalent found in French-speaking regions. Related forms include Giuseppa in Italian, Josefa in Spanish and Portuguese, and Josepha in German and Latin contexts.