[1] It is also used for browser-side JavaScript, but that code must be packaged with a transpiler since browsers don't support CommonJS.
The project was started by Mozilla engineer Kevin Dangoor in January, 2009 and initially named ServerJS.
It’s a matter of people getting together and making a decision to step forward and start building up something bigger and cooler together.In August 2009, the project was renamed CommonJS to show the broader applicability of the APIs.
[5] CommonJS is not affiliated with the Ecma International group TC39 working on ECMAScript, but some members of TC39 participate in the project.
They intend to define a set of APIs that are useful both for non-web JavaScript implementations, with standardized package names to provide interoperability within the ecosystem.