Josh Boy

Popularity: #829 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Origin(s)

PronunciationJOSH / dʒɒʃ

Hebrew; English

Meaning

Hebrew: God is my salvation; English: diminutive of Joshua

Historical & Cultural Background

Josh is a diminutive form of the name Joshua, which has biblical origins. The name Joshua appears in the Hebrew Bible as the leader who succeeded Moses. In modern times, Josh has become a popular standalone name in English-speaking countries. It gained significant popularity in the late 20th century.

Trend Summary

Josh experienced a peak in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, remaining a well-liked name into the 21st century.

Similar Names

Variants

  • Joshua
  • Joss

International Variants

  • Josué (Spanish)
  • Jozua (Dutch)
  • Jésus (French)

Famous people named Josh

Josh Groban is an American singer and actor known for his powerful tenor voice and successful music career.

Josh Hutcherson is an American actor recognized for his role as Peeta Mellark in 'The Hunger Games' film series.

Josh Brolin is an American actor known for his performances in films such as 'No Country for Old Men' and 'Avengers: Infinity War'.

Josh Allen is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League (NFL).

Fictional characters named Josh

Josh is a character in the television series 'Drake & Josh', known for his comedic antics and sibling relationship.

Josh Lyman is a character in the television series 'The West Wing', serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff.

Sibling Suggestions

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Josh was first seen in the United States in 1880. Josh has ranked as high as #653 nationally, which occurred in 1979, and has been most popular in California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Georgia. In the past 5 years the name Josh has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Josh (2024)

StateBirthsShare
FL 14
28%
NY 10
20%
TX 10
20%
CA 10
20%
PA 6
12%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

YearBirths
188031
188122
188214
188327
188427
188523
188629
188715
188824
188922
189024
189119
189222
189316
189418
189527
189623
189721
189822
189917
190025
190118
190217
190321
190418
190517
190613
190719
190826
190921
191023
191130
191239
191337
191439
191540
191655
191742
191849
191941
192045
192136
192250
192349
192447
192545
192646
192741
192844
192936
193028
193130
193240
193330
193439
193534
193644
193738
193833
193932
194031
194131
194231
194325
194435
194534
194643
194740
194845
194946
195040
195141
195254
195358
195451
195550
195653
195753
195869
1959128
1960129
1961132
1962102
1963115
196495
1965105
1966101
1967105
1968135
1969193
1970248
1971325
1972356
1973401
1974493
1975456
1976387
1977383
1978432
1979531
1980460
1981348
1982298
1983299
1984259
1985248
1986220
1987233
1988240
1989214
1990212
1991181
1992181
1993186
1994169
1995183
1996166
1997189
1998166
1999194
2000195
2001246
2002274
2003273
2004308
2005266
2006302
2007316
2008271
2009205
2010178
2011179
2012167
2013151
2014166
2015123
2016108
2017129
2018113
2019103
202094
2021100
202294
202389
202495