Josephus, born Yosef Ben Matityahu around 37 AD in Jerusalem, was a Jewish historian of the First Century. He is renowned for his chronicles of the Jewish–Roman War and the destruction of Jerusalem by Roman forces in 70 AD. Born into a wealthy priestly family, Josephus received a thorough education in Jewish law and traditions. He began his career as a military commander but was later captured by Romans after a failed revolt. Impressed with his intelligence, Roman commander Vespasian spared his life and took him on as an advisor during the campaign against his own people. After Rome's victory, Josephus lived in Rome for many years where he wrote his major works in Greek, including 'The Jewish War' and 'Antiquities of the Jews'. These texts are valuable today not only for their historical accuracy but also for providing insights into Jewish culture and religion during that period.
Over the span of nearly a century and a half (1882-2023), the name Josephus saw varied popularity as indicated by its annual birth counts. The peak years for this name were around World War I, with a staggering high of 26 births in 1915. However, since the late 1970s, it has fallen out of favor significantly, with fewer than 10 births recorded per year on average between 1978 and 2023, inclusive. Despite this decline, the total number of children named Josephus over these years still amounts to a substantial 1211 births.