Josheua
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is salvation".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Josheua. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Josheua today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Josheua births was 1985 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Josheua. 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 Josheua. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1985
6 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1985 SSA rank
#6,150
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Josheua: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Josheua 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 Josheua during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Josheua
The name Josheua is believed to have originated from the Hebrew name Yehoshua, which is a combination of the Hebrew words "Yahweh" (meaning "the Lord") and "yasha" (meaning "to deliver" or "to rescue"). The name Yehoshua is found in the Hebrew Bible, where it refers to Joshua, the leader who succeeded Moses and led the Israelites into the Promised Land.
In the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Septuagint, the name Yehoshua is rendered as "Ἰησοῦς" (Iēsous), which is the basis for the English name "Jesus". The spelling "Josheua" appears to be a variation of this name, likely influenced by different linguistic and cultural traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Josheua can be found in the Book of Joshua, which is part of the Hebrew Bible. This book chronicles the life and deeds of Joshua, the Israelite leader who led the conquest of Canaan after the Exodus from Egypt. Joshua is portrayed as a courageous and faithful servant of God, who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Israelites in the Promised Land.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Josheua or its variants. One such person was Josheua ben Gamla, a Jewish leader and scholar who lived in the 1st century CE. He is credited with establishing a system of universal education for Jewish children, which laid the foundation for the development of synagogue-based education.
Another prominent figure was Josheua ben Levi, a renowned Jewish scholar and rabbi who lived in the 3rd century CE. He was known for his teachings on Jewish law and his contributions to the development of the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism.
In the 16th century, Josheua Riccio, an Italian composer and lutenist, was a notable figure in the Renaissance music scene. He was known for his virtuosic lute playing and his contributions to the development of the early Baroque style.
Josheua Sylvester, an English poet and translator, lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is best known for his translation of the works of the French poet Guillaume du Bartas and his own poetic works, which explored religious and philosophical themes.
The name Josheua has also been used in various literary works and cultural traditions, further contributing to its historical significance and enduring presence across different societies and time periods.
People
Josheua + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Josheua 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
Josheua: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Josheua?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Josheua 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Josheua a common name?
We classify Josheua as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Josheua most popular?
The single biggest year for Josheua was 1985, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Josheua is about 39 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 Josheua in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Josheua a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Josheua 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 Josheua still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Josheua 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 Josheua 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 are called Josheua?
Find out how many Americans are named Josheua on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.