Joshua
How to say it: JOSH-oo-uh · /ˈdʒɑʃuə/
God is salvation — from the Hebrew Yehoshua, the same root as the name Jesus.
Joshua was the 76th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 4,773 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1980s, its births are down about 51% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #108 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 | #76 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 4,773 |
| Share of births | 1 in 687 |
| Peak decade | 1980s |
| Change over 10 years | −51% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #108 |
| In France, 2025 | #238 among boys’ names, 235 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Climbing through the 1980s gave Joshua its greatest height. It has dropped far from there and further softening looks ahead.
What goes with it
Warm rushing air fills its three parts, strong with biblical roots. Josh is the usual short form and Caleb stands comfortably beside it.
Middle names that flow with Joshua →
Nicknames
- Josh
Other spellings
Honouring a Joshua in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Joshua is about 1 in 29.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, Hebrew.
In France: #238 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #53. Ireland: #81.
Famous people named Joshua
- Joshua Bassett (born 2000)American actor and singer-songwriter
- Joshua Kimmich (born 1995)German association football player
- Joshua Kennedy (born 1982)Australian association football player
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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