Josh
How to say it: JOSH · /ˈdʒɑːʃ/
Short form of Joshua, from Hebrew 'Yehoshua' meaning 'God is salvation'; widely used as an independent given name.
Josh was the 1,418th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 96 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1970s, its births are down about 21% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,511 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #1,418 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 96 |
| Share of births | 1 in 34,534 |
| Peak decade | 1970s |
| Change over 10 years | −21% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,511 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,664 among boys’ names, 10 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Josh peaked in the 1970s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Josh is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, Hebrew.
In France: #1,664 for boys in 2025.
Ireland: #191.
Famous people named Josh
- Josh Duhamel (born 1972)American actor and former model
- Josh Brolin (born 1968)American actor
- Josh Radnor (born 1974)American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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