NameChart

Joshua

Boy name

Joshua has been given to 1,253,882 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1989 and currently ranks #66 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈd͡ʒɒʃ(j)ʊə/

From Biblical Hebrew יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshúa'), perhaps from הוֹשֵׁעַ (Hoshéa') with addition of יהוה (YHWH, “Yahweh”), thus meaning "Yahweh is salvation". See הוֹשִׁיעַ (hoshía', “to save”). By cognate a direct equivalent to Jesus via Latin Iēsūs and Ancient Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs) from Aramaic יֵשׁוּע (Yēšū́ʿ), akin to Hebrew יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshúa'), a variant of Yehoshúa'. The Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament consistently render the two Hebrew names Yehoshúa' (whence Joshua) and Yeshúa' (whence Jeshua) into Koine Greek as Iēsoûs (whence Jesus).

Origin: Hebrew

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

011.025k22.05k33.075k44.1k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

1,253,882

Peak year

1989 (44,308 babies)

Rank in 2025

#66 for boys

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -52%

Gender split

0% girls / 100% boys

Famous people named Joshua

Joshua Bassett

American actor and singer-songwriter

Joshua Reynolds

English painter (1723–1792)

Joshua Kimmich

German association football player (born 1995)

Josh Hutcherson

American actor

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Joshua.

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