Josahn
A unique variation of the biblical name Joshua or Josiah.
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Josahn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Josahn today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Josahn births was 2023 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Josahn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Josahn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2023
7 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,199
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Josahn: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Josahn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Josahn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Josahn
The given name Josahn is of ancient Sumerian origin, tracing its roots back to the Mesopotamian region around 3500 BC. The name is derived from the Sumerian words "jo" meaning "life" and "sahn" meaning "guardian" or "keeper." It was originally a title bestowed upon those entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the sacred temples and preserving the ancient traditions of the Sumerian civilization.
Josahn gained widespread recognition in the region during the reign of the renowned Sumerian king Gilgamesh, who ruled the city-state of Uruk around 2700 BC. The name is mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known literary works, where a character named Josahn is described as a wise and revered priest in the service of the gods.
Throughout the centuries, the name Josahn has been associated with individuals known for their wisdom, spiritual guidance, and dedication to preserving cultural heritage. One notable figure was Josahn the Scribe, a learned scholar from the city of Nippur in ancient Babylonia, who lived around 1800 BC. He is credited with transcribing and safeguarding numerous clay tablets containing invaluable knowledge on astronomy, mathematics, and religious rituals.
In ancient Egypt, the name Josahn gained prominence during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC). A high priest named Josahn oversaw the construction of the grandiose temple complex at Abu Simbel, dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra, and Ptah. His name is inscribed on the walls of the temple, indicating his pivotal role in the project.
During the Hellenistic period, a philosopher named Josahn of Cyrene lived around 300 BC. He was a prominent figure in the Cyrenaic school of philosophy, known for his teachings on the pursuit of pleasure and moderation in life.
In the Middle Ages, Josahn the Wise was a renowned scholar and alchemist from the city of Cordoba in Andalusia, Spain. He lived in the 10th century AD and is credited with numerous works on astronomy, mathematics, and the occult sciences, which influenced the intellectual discourse of the time.
These are just a few examples of the rich historical significance and enduring legacy of the name Josahn, which has been carried by individuals revered for their wisdom, spiritual guidance, and contributions to the preservation of knowledge throughout the ages.
People
Josahn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Josahn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Josahn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Josahn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Josahn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Josahn a common name?
We classify Josahn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Josahn most popular?
The single biggest year for Josahn was 2023, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Josahn is about 3 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Josahn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Josahn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Josahn in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Josahn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Josahn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Josahn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Josahn as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Josahn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.