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Meh, old-lady-shmold-lady! Josephine is delightful. I want to like Josephina, but it seems to be trying a little too hard. Josephine is a favourite of mine and all her nicknames make her feel pretty youthful to me: Jo, Jos, Josie, Phi ("fee"), Phine ("feen"), Phinie, Seph, Sephie, Eph, Ephie, "Jeen", "Jeenie". Heck, even Jeph or Jephie!

This message was edited 4/30/2014, 11:28 AM

I don't think Josephine is old lady. I don't think Josephina sounds any more youthful. I like Josephina more, but then I'm not a big fan of Josephine to begin with. I think the extra syllable improves it.

Josephina is inconveniently long and looks unconvincing. Josefina looks better but would have pronunciation issues. I much prefer the lively Josephine.

Josephina does not sound more youthful. Josephina might even sound older than Josephine.

Josephina sounds like too much. It also sounds kind of cranky to me - like it'd really carry if screamed. I heartily prefer Josephine, which I really like.

Josephina doesn't sound any more youthful than Josephine does. Josephine does have a sense of oldness to it but definitely not old lady. I really like it. Josephina gets a bit too frilly.

I prefer Josephine. I think it just sounds nicer than Josephina.

The only Josephine I know is 7, so it isn't old lady to me. She's called Josie. I want to say Josephina like Josefina.

Josephine sounds more youthful to me. Probably because I associate Josephina with two of my great grandmothers who were both named Josefina and born in 1877 and 1880, while Josephine is quite common for people my age here (Sweden).

I actually think Josephina sounds older. Not sure why.

Although I definitely don't think Josephine is overwhelmingly evocative of an old lady (though I don't think that's a negative quality), I prefer Josephina.