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Josephus

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Josephus

Pronounced joh-SEE-fus /dʒoʊˈsiː.fəs/High

Meaning: Josephus is the Latinized form of Joseph, from the Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add' or 'may God add'. It is best known through Flavius Josephus, the first-century Roman-Jewish historian whose works are a key source for the period, and it carried into American use as a dignified, scholarly form of Joseph.Medium

In 30 seconds: Josephus is the Latin form of Joseph, from Hebrew 'he will add', famous from the historian Flavius Josephus. It reads as a stately, early-century vintage name.

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Origin MediumHebrew, Latin

MeaningJosephus is the Latinized form of Joseph, from the Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add' or 'may God add'. It is best known through Flavius Josephus, the first-century Roman-Jewish historian whose works are a key source for the period, and it carried into American use as a dignified, scholarly form of Joseph.

U.S. rank (2023)#13125 ↘ Falling

2023 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1923

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,211

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Josephus is the Latin form of Joseph (Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add'). Its fame rests on Flavius Josephus, the Jewish general turned Roman historian of the first century. As a given name it appealed to families wanting a learned, classical version of the very common Joseph, and it saw scattered American use into the twentieth century.

It was always uncommon, cresting around 1923 with only a couple dozen boys a year, though it has never quite vanished. A man named Josephus in that era is now of a great-grandparent generation; the name reads as a grave, old-world classic - a scholarly cousin of Joseph rather than a passing style.

Did you know? The name points straight to Flavius Josephus, the first-century historian whose accounts remain one of our main windows onto the Judaea of his day.

Overall data confidence 75%

References - Joseph / Josephus — Hebrew 'he will add'; historian Flavius Josephus

Variations

JosephJozefJosephineGiuseppe

Nicknames

JoeJos

Famous Bearers

★Flavius Josephus (37–100)
First-century Roman-Jewish historian whose works chronicle the Jewish War and Jewish antiquities.

If you like Josephus…

Joseph— the everyday form of this Latinized name

Josephine— the feminine relative of the same root

Augustus— another stately Latin -us classic

Cornelius— a scholarly Roman-form name of similar weight

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Josephus mean?

Josephus is the Latin form of Joseph, from Hebrew meaning 'he will add'.

How do you pronounce Josephus?

It's said joh-SEE-fus /dʒoʊˈsiː.fəs/, three syllables.

Is Josephus a boy or girl name?

Josephus is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Josephus?

Josephus has always been uncommon, a stately Latin form of Joseph.