# "Adolf" is a very unpopular name for children. Why not the same for "Joseph"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084 "2011-10-28T16:03:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/1 "2011-10-28T16:03:47Z")
Why did “Joseph” survive as a relatively common name for children after WWII, but “Adolf” did not? 2 theories: 1. “Joseph” (or Josef) was a much more common name than Adolf to begin with, so it was not associated as strongly with Stalin. or 2. Hitler was worse in most people’s minds than Stalin, so his name is more anathema. Or maybe a combination. Any other theories? ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/2 "2011-10-28T16:06:38Z")
Adolf never had a technicolour dreamcoat. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/3 "2011-10-28T16:12:34Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > Adolf never had a technicolour dreamcoat. nor did Adolf take as his bride a girl named Mary and go hole up in a stable behind a crowded inn where she gave birth to the messiah. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/4 "2011-10-28T16:31:22Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > 1. “Joseph” (or Josef) was a much more common name than Adolf to begin with, so it was not associated as strongly with Stalin. This is it. Joseph was a popular American name (it’s been dropping in popularity over the years, but is still #16 in the US). Adolph was #137 at its height, and by 1930 was at #369. In 1940, Adolph Hitler was the only Adolph most people knew while every knew a Joseph or two. Also, Joseph can become “Joe,” making the connection with Stalin such that it didn’t come to mind immediately. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/5 "2011-10-28T16:53:16Z")
Well, there’s also the fact that Russia fought on the side of the Allies in WWII. So we may not have liked Stalin, but he wasn’t bombing us. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/6 "2011-10-28T18:48:38Z")
I can think of a lot of other well-known Josephs, but only the one Adolph. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/7 "2011-10-28T19:26:38Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I can think of a lot of other well-known Josephs, but only the one Adolph. No one remembers [Adolphe Menjou](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0579663/) anymore. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/8 "2011-10-28T19:31:18Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I can think of a lot of other well-known Josephs, but only the one Adolph. There’s Adolph Coors, founder of Coors Beer ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/9 "2011-10-28T19:36:32Z")
I believe there are some “Göbbels’” related to Josef still living in Germany, although he killed his wife and children. I _know_ I’m hijacking (again), but I did find one “Hitler” living in Germany. You’ll have to do the search yourself on [Das Telefonbuch](http://www2.dastelefonbuch.de/), but his first name may surprise you! Quasi ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/10 "2011-10-28T19:54:43Z")
I think others have made the point, but just to state it explicitly: in the English-speaking world, Joseph is a very common name. Adolph is quite rare. When hearing the name “Adolph”, Hitler comes immediately to mind. The name “Joseph”, on the other hand, reminds you of many people other than Stalin. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/11 "2011-10-28T20:00:19Z")
Adolf with an F please, if you’re talking about Charlie Chaplin’s evil twin. And technically, the other guy’s name was Ioseb (or იოსებ). He Russified it and changed it to mean “steel” to seem more manly or something. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/12 "2011-10-28T20:41:37Z")
To prove the point, I’m willing to bet that had you excluded the name “Stalin” from your OP you’d get quite a number of responses along the lines of “Joseph who?” Remove Hitler and it wouldn’t matter. It would be the first thing people lept to when they heard the name Adolf ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/13 "2011-10-28T20:50:50Z")
ETA **Enderw24** ’s post wasn’t there when I loaded the thread. And my original response below sorta proves his point. … From reading just the title I assumed the Joseph the OP thought nobody would want to share a name with was Mengele, not Stalin. Goes to show that Joe Stalin is not a top-of-mind villain amongst Americans. Maybe amongst eastern Europeans of a certain age the answers would be different. Then again how many of us name our kids Pol (or Pot) these days? Clearly there’s some names besides Adolph we don’t want to associate with. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/14 "2011-10-28T20:53:09Z")
I’ve known lots of Josephs in my life. Never one Josef. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/15 "2011-10-28T20:57:09Z")
Muammar isn’t very popular either. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/16 "2011-10-28T20:59:58Z")
For what its worth, Mengele was the first Joseph I connected with Hitler, and had to read down to remember dear old Stalin, probably for the reasons explained above, or maybe because of the cueing effect of Hitler. I also kind of wonder if Adolf was German for Albert if Albert would have become disused as well. I tend to view different language names as different names rather than just as variants, Im sure Im not alone. Otara ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/17 "2011-10-28T21:04:32Z")
It’s been mentioned before, but even when other names fall out of fashion on their own (Anybody knows an Alphonse? An Ethel?) without the help of being associated with dictators, Catholiic countries will tend to keep names directly related to Jesus very much alive. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/18 "2011-10-28T21:11:19Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > There’s Adolph Coors, founder of Coors Beer Yeah…that association’s not going to help the name any. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/19 "2011-10-28T21:11:46Z")
My father’s name is Joseph, and I never felt he acted like a tyrant when I was growing up. Which is doubly odd, considering his middle name is Tojo. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084/20 "2011-10-28T21:12:38Z")
My father used to joke that you rarely see kids named Pontius anymore. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adolf-is-a-very-unpopular-name-for-children-why-not-the-same-for-joseph/601084.md?page=2)