Boys' name · since 1882
Josephus
Josephus has 1,211 recorded births since 1882 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1923 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4,558 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,211
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
Josephus sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 1,211 recorded since 1882.
Josephus has 1,211 recorded births among boys since 1882, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2023.
- #4,558 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,211 born since 1882
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Josephus ranks #4,558 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,211 born since 1882, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4,558 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,211
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
Josephus's 1,211 recorded births place it above 89.97% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by North Carolina.
Josephus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Josephus splits its recorded history at 1949: 41% of all births land in the more recent half, 59% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1923 peak of 28 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Josephus popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2023
- Peak year (1923)
- 28
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Josephus by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (206 births, 17% of the file).
1920s was Josephus's strongest decade.
206 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Josephus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 35
1880s
35 births
- 1890s 24
1890s
24 births
- 1900s 18
1900s
18 births
- 1910s
1910s
143 births
- 1920s
1920s
206 births
- 1930s
1930s
156 births
- 1940s
1940s
157 births
- 1950s
1950s
140 births
- 1960s
1960s
94 births
- 1970s
1970s
89 births
- 1980s 59
1980s
59 births
- 1990s 46
1990s
46 births
- 2000s 21
2000s
21 births
- 2010s 12
2010s
12 births
- 2020s 11
2020s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 206 births (17% of all-time use).
How Josephus compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Josephus's total volume
Josephus by state
Where Josephus concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 44 | 3.6% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 38 | 3.1% |
| #3 | South Carolina | | 26 | 2.1% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 15 | 1.2% |
44 of 1,211 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Josephus's data
- Josephus's decade-level peak was the 1920s (206 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Josephuss (44 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Josephus
Nearby Names Like Josephus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Josephus
Compare Josephus side by side: Josephus vs Joseph Josephus vs Joshua Josephus vs Jose
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Josephus: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1923)
Similar record span (~141 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1882–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Josephus draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.