Nazareth was certainly around when Jesus was alive. It was by no means a prominent place though. Naz´a•reth is a city in Lower Galilee where Jesus lived most of his earthly life, along with his half brothers and half sisters. (Lu 2:51, 52; Mt 13:54-56) “ Both Joseph and Mary were residents of Nazareth when Gabriel announced the approaching birth of Jesus. (Lu 1:26, 27; 2:4, 39) Later, after their return from Egypt, they took up residence in Nazareth again.—Mt 2:19-23; Lu 2:39. Most scholars identify Nazareth with En Nasira (Nazerat) in Galilee . It is difficult to say with certainty just how prominent Nazareth was in the first century. The most common view of commentators is that Nazareth was then a rather secluded, insignificant village. The principal Biblical statement used to support this view is what Nathanael said when he heard that Jesus was from there: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (Joh 1:46) This has been taken by many to mean that Nazareth was looked down upon, even by people of Galilee. (Joh 21:2) Nazareth was near trade routes of the area but not directly on them. It was not mentioned by Josephus, though he referred to nearby Japhia as the largest fortified village of all Galilee, leading to the idea that Nazareth was eclipsed by its neighbor”. Source “Insight on the Scriptures”, volume II, page 476.

Actually, the etymology of Nazareth from as early as Eusebius up until the 20th century has been said to derive from netser, a "shoot" or "sprout", while the apocryphal Gospel of Phillip derives the name from Nazara meaning "truth". There is speculation and biblical indication that Nazarene meaning "of the village of Nazareth", was confused with "Nazirite," meaning a "separated" Jew who had taken a vow of holiness. Some historians have even suggested that what was originally a title (Nazarene) was corrupted into the name of his hometown (alternately, Nazara or Nazaret or Nazareth). Though there is no solid answer, archaeological research has yet to prove the village existed during the time of Jesus, but the question is about how we got the name "Jesus of Nazareth", not if Nazareth existed... Hope this gave you some insight-

Actually Nazareth, Bethleham & other otwns exsisted during the life of Christ... Any major civilaization would have been Jerusalem...

where did you get that information? instead of relying on wikipedia, go to the source: http://www.nazarethinfo.org/2/?m=255 (Nazareth Cultural and Tourism Association) Since the time of its first recorded reference, the city has been known by its Hebrew name, ‘Nazer’. We do not know when the area was first settled, but archaeological excavations in the Kufze cave close to Nazareth show that it was lived in during the Stone Age -- between a million years and thirty thousand years BC. The human remains unearthed there are among the oldest ever found.

The following information about Nazareth was taken from the works of the archaeologist G. Frederick Owen D.D., Ed.D. This may or may not help but this archaeologist certainly saw and excavated in the town of Nazareth, as have other archaeologists since. Which tells me that Nazareth did indeed exist in the first century. "Nazareth is the city where Mary and Joseph lived, and the home of Jesus until the famous announcements of his Messiahship at the age of thirty. The place (Nazareth) enjoys a certain measure of seclusion as it nestles in the mountains, half way between the Mediterranean sea and the Sea of Galilee yet it was near the well-traveled highway between Egypt and Mesopotamia. Here Jesus saw the passing caravans of many nationalities. The Church of the Annunciation which traditionally marks the site of the Virgin Mary's home, is built on the foundation of a church erected by the Crusaders in the 12th century. Beneath the nave is a chapel in which the Latin inscription "Here the word was made flesh." (John 1:4) Digging continues under the church to ascertain what they may of the Crusader ruins, and those of earlier times. Of all of the convincing sites, however, in and about Nazareth that is connected with Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, is the "Virgin's Well." It has always been the only living spring of water that the town possesses. The actual source of the well is a hillside spring almost a mile outside of the city, from which a conduit brings the water to this roofed-over "well" where the women gather early each morning and in the cool of the evening to fill their water pots and bear them away on their heads to their homes. Here in all probability, came Mary, carrying the traditional water jar on her head----and perhaps, at times the child Jesus accompanied her. "