Josefa

Josefa is the Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of Joseph, which derives from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "he will add" or "God will increase," from the root yasaf. The name is borne in the Old Testament by Joseph, son of Jacob, whose story of enslavement and rise to power in Egypt made the name widely revered across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Josefa spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America following the Christianization of those regions and remains a traditional feminine name in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking cultures. Related forms include Josepha, Joséphine, and Giuseppa.