Joshua Boy

Popularity: #66 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JOSH-uh //ˈdʒɒʃ.ə//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: God is salvation; English: derived from Hebrew

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Joshua has its roots in the Hebrew name Yehoshua, which means "Yahweh is salvation." This name is derived from the elements "Yeho," referring to the divine name Yahweh, and "shua," meaning salvation or deliverance. The name was later shortened to Yeshua, which is the form that appears in the Greek New Testament as Iesous, ultimately leading to the Latin form Iesus.

The transition into English occurred through the Old French form Josue, which was adopted into Middle English as Joshua. Historically, Joshua is a significant biblical figure, known as the successor of Moses and the leader of the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan, as narrated in the Book of Joshua, which is part of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.

This text, believed to have been composed around the 6th century BCE, recounts the Israelites' journey into the Promised Land and the establishment of their presence there. Joshua's leadership and faithfulness to God have made him a symbol of courage and divine guidance, and he is often referenced in religious teachings and literature.

The name Joshua has maintained cultural resonance through its association with themes of leadership, faith, and divine assistance. It has been embraced in various religious contexts, particularly within Judaism and Christianity, where it is often linked to notions of hope and salvation.

Additionally, the name has been borne by numerous saints and historical figures, further solidifying its significance in religious and cultural narratives. The diminutive form Josh has also emerged, reflecting a more informal and familiar usage, although its historical roots remain firmly connected to the original Hebrew meaning.

Famous people named Joshua

In this section, you will find notable people named Joshua. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Joshua who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Joshua who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Joshua Bell is a violinist best known for his performances with major orchestras, his Grammy Award-winning recordings, and his role as a music educator.

Joshua Jackson is an actor best known for his roles in Dawson's Creek, Fringe, and The Affair.

Joshua Radin is a singer-songwriter best known for his songs such as 'I'd Rather Be With You', 'Winter', and 'Brand New Day'.

Joshua Homme is a musician best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of Queens of the Stone Age and for his work with Eagles of Death Metal.

Joshua Malina is an actor best known for his roles in The West Wing, Sports Night, and Scandal.

Joshua Tree is a musician best known for his work in the band The Joshua Tree Project and his contributions to the music scene.

Fictional characters named Joshua

The following list of fictional characters named Joshua is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Joshua is a fictional character from the video game series The Last of Us. He is a key figure in the narrative, representing the struggles and moral dilemmas faced in a post-apocalyptic world.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Joshua, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JacobIsaacSamuelEthanDanielMatthew

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Joshua. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

JosiahJonahJaredJordanJulianJasperJett

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Joshua was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Joshua has ranked as high as #6 nationally, which occurred in 1989, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Joshua has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Joshua is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Joshua was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Joshua.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 4,773 4,773 0
2024 5,276 5,268 8
2023 5,076 5,070 6
2022 5,203 5,197 6
2021 5,531 5,531 0
2020 6,024 6,015 9
2019 6,641 6,631 10
2018 7,446 7,446 0
2017 8,365 8,353 12
2016 9,276 9,258 18
2015 9,868 9,850 18
2014 10,945 10,929 16
2013 11,874 11,861 13
2012 12,699 12,681 18
2011 13,822 13,797 25
2010 15,480 15,467 13
2009 17,695 17,671 24
2008 19,256 19,231 25
2007 20,708 20,669 39
2006 22,367 22,336 31
2005 23,304 23,261 43
2004 24,334 24,214 120
2003 25,151 25,106 45
2002 26,044 25,998 46
2001 26,072 26,024 48
2000 27,597 27,543 54
1999 27,327 27,265 62
1998 28,146 28,095 51
1997 28,350 28,289 61
1996 29,250 29,175 75
1995 30,782 30,720 62
1994 31,451 31,374 77
1993 33,704 33,590 114
1992 36,343 36,221 122
1991 41,367 41,226 141
1990 43,403 43,237 166
1989 44,308 44,100 208
1988 42,950 42,653 297
1987 40,274 40,002 272
1986 37,849 37,542 307
1985 42,470 42,194 276
1984 40,532 40,266 266
1983 36,919 36,687 232
1982 38,245 38,004 241
1981 39,264 39,024 240
1980 36,274 36,052 222
1979 31,331 31,120 211
1978 25,345 25,204 141
1977 22,181 22,068 113
1976 16,940 16,845 95
1975 14,659 14,567 92
1974 11,662 11,599 63
1973 8,095 8,057 38
1972 5,054 5,033 21
1971 3,667 3,650 17
1970 2,185 2,175 10
1969 1,329 1,321 8
1968 736 731 5
1967 563 563 0
1966 486 486 0
1965 461 461 0
1964 389 389 0
1963 372 372 0
1962 335 335 0
1961 354 354 0
1960 314 314 0
1959 328 328 0
1958 276 276 0
1957 273 273 0
1956 239 239 0
1955 245 245 0
1954 193 193 0
1953 164 164 0
1952 178 178 0
1951 165 165 0
1950 160 160 0
1949 183 183 0
1948 129 129 0
1947 141 141 0
1946 113 113 0
1945 97 97 0
1944 104 104 0
1943 95 95 0
1942 111 111 0
1941 93 93 0
1940 90 90 0
1939 101 101 0
1938 71 71 0
1937 92 92 0
1936 101 101 0
1935 80 80 0
1934 106 106 0
1933 102 102 0
1932 111 111 0
1931 94 94 0
1930 90 90 0
1929 74 74 0
1928 118 118 0
1927 117 117 0
1926 105 105 0
1925 109 109 0
1924 114 114 0
1923 129 129 0
1922 124 124 0
1921 125 125 0
1920 128 128 0
1919 139 139 0
1918 118 118 0
1917 122 122 0
1916 99 99 0
1915 136 136 0
1914 87 87 0
1913 78 78 0
1912 60 60 0
1911 43 43 0
1910 44 44 0
1909 28 28 0
1908 29 29 0
1907 26 26 0
1906 27 27 0
1905 18 18 0
1904 19 19 0
1903 21 21 0
1902 17 17 0
1901 22 22 0
1900 36 36 0
1899 24 24 0
1898 39 39 0
1897 29 29 0
1896 30 30 0
1895 29 29 0
1894 24 24 0
1893 23 23 0
1892 41 41 0
1891 24 24 0
1890 24 24 0
1889 33 33 0
1888 50 50 0
1887 41 41 0
1886 55 55 0
1885 43 43 0
1884 41 41 0
1883 55 55 0
1882 50 50 0
1881 40 40 0
1880 57 57 0

Top States for Joshua (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 638
12%
CA 599
11%
FL 427
8%
NY 348
7%
GA 207
4%
NJ 192
4%
NC 174
3%
PA 156
3%
OH 156
3%
VA 150
3%
TN 143
3%
IL 139
3%
IN 126
2%
MA 124
2%
MD 118
2%
MI 105
2%
AZ 104
2%
WA 99
2%
SC 94
2%
CO 78
1%
LA 78
1%
MO 74
1%
WI 72
1%
KY 67
1%
AL 67
1%
OK 63
1%
CT 56
1%
MN 55
1%
UT 48
1%
MS 47
1%
NV 43
1%
AR 38
1%
OR 37
1%
IA 37
1%
KS 35
1%
NM 29
1%
ID 27
1%
NE 27
1%
DE 22
0%
DC 18
0%
WV 16
0%
ME 14
0%
RI 14
0%
HI 13
0%
ND 13
0%
SD 12
0%
AK 12
0%
MT 11
0%
WY 9
0%
NH 8
0%
VT 5
0%