Joshua

Meaning: Yahweh is salvation
Origin: Hebrew

Nicknames: Josh

Boy's name · #66 in the US (2025) · 80s wave

Popularity over time

Joshua reached its best rank, #3, in 2002 and ranked #66 in 2025. It has spent 26 years inside the national top 5.

US births of Joshua rose from 731 in 1968 to 1,321 in 1969, the year after Here Come the Brides introduced David Soul as Joshua Bolt.

Across the states

See where Joshua is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Joshua ranks in other countries and regions.

#28 in Ecuador (2025) · #48 in New Zealand (2025) · #53 in England & Wales (2025) · #56 in N. Ireland (2025) · #77 in Scotland (2025) · #78 in Australia (VIC) (2025) · #81 in Ireland (2025) · #135 in Netherlands (2025) · #136 in Switzerland (2025) · #153 in Mexico (2024) · #226 in Puerto Rico (2025) · #234 in France (2025) and 6 more.

Famous Joshuas

Joshua Bassett — American actor and singer-songwriter
Joshua Reynolds — English painter (1723–1792)
Joshua Kimmich — German association football player (born 1995)
Joshua Lederberg — American molecular biologist (1925–2008)
Joshua Kennedy — Australian association football player

In stories & tradition

Joshua — Book of Numbers (Bible)
Joshua Graham — Fallout: New Vegas (video game)
Joshua Lewis^it — Guiding Light (TV series)

What Joshuas become

Among 2,114 notable people named Joshua:

No single standout — notable Joshuas spread across many fields.

Twin names

Popular twin pairings with Joshua include Jacob, Caleb, and Joseph for boys.

Spellings & nicknames

About 95 boys a year are given Josh as their full name.

Similar names: Josue · Matthew · Jose · Aaron · Jonathan · Josiah

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service