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Name Lineage

    The first name Josephus

    A boy’s name from Greek.

    Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒəʊˈsiːfəs/ 3 syllables Male

    Meaning and origin

    Greek origin

    From Latin Iōsēphus, from Ancient Greek Ἰώσηπος (Iṓsēpos), Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Josephus at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2023, 5 boys born in the United States were named Josephus, the 13,132nd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1923, when 28 were.

    01530 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    1,211
    babies named Josephus since 1880
    #13,132
    rank in 2023
    1923
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Josephus

    15 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Josephus Daniels
      American diplomat and newspaper editor (1862–1948)
    • Johannes Josephus Aarts
      Dutch painter and printmaker (1871-1934)
    • Anthonius Josephus Maria Leeuwenberg
      Dutch botanist (1930-2010)
    • Wilhelmus Josephus Jongmans
      Dutch university professor and botanist (1878-1957)
    • Peter Debye
      Dutch-American physicist and physical chemist (1884–1966)
    • Joseph Justus Scaliger
      French historian (1540-1609)
    • Ralf Mackenbach
      Dutch singer, actor and physicist, born 1995
    • Ernest Claes
      Belgian writer (1885-1968)
    • Wilhelmus de Bekker
      Dutch-born Surinamese Roman Catholic bishop, 1939–2026
    • Mental Theo
      Dutch record producer and DJ, born 1965
    • Huub Oosterhuis
      Dutch theologian and poet (1933–2023)
    • John Hicks
      American jazz pianist and composer (1941-2006)

    More Greek boys’ names

    All 347 names of Greek origin

    Questions

    What does the name Josephus mean?
    From Latin Iōsēphus, from Ancient Greek Ἰώσηπος (Iṓsēpos), Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph).
    What is the origin of the name Josephus?
    From Latin Iōsēphus, from Ancient Greek Ἰώσηπος (Iṓsēpos), Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph).
    Is Josephus a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 1,211 US babies named Josephus since 1880 were boys.
    When was Josephus most popular?
    1923 in the United States, when 28 babies were named Josephus, its highest rank at 1,402nd.
    How do you pronounce Josephus?
    Josephus is /ˈd͡ʒəʊˈsiːfəs/, 3 syllables.