Joshewa
A masculine name derived from Hebrew meaning "Yahweh is salvation".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Joshewa. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Joshewa today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Joshewa births was 1980 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Joshewa. 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 Joshewa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1980
5 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
1987 SSA rank
#7,535
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Joshewa: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Joshewa 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 Joshewa 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 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Joshewa
The given name Joshewa has its origins in the Hebrew language, dating back to ancient times. It is a variant spelling of the biblical name Joshua, which is derived from the Hebrew words "Yeho" meaning "Yahweh" (the Lord) and "shua" meaning "to save" or "to deliver." The name Joshewa essentially carries the meaning of "Yahweh is salvation" or "the Lord is salvation."
One of the earliest and most prominent references to this name can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. Joshua, the successor of Moses, was a prominent figure who led the Israelites into the Promised Land of Canaan. His story is recounted in the Book of Joshua, where he is depicted as a courageous and faithful leader who played a pivotal role in the conquest of Canaan.
In the early centuries of Christianity, the name Joshewa was sometimes used as a variation of Joshua, particularly among certain Christian communities. One notable example was Joshewa the Stylite, a 6th-century Christian ascetic and monk who lived atop a pillar in Syria for over three decades.
During the Middle Ages, the name Joshewa was relatively uncommon in Europe, though it did appear occasionally among certain Jewish communities. One historical figure who bore this name was Joshewa ben Hananiah, a 1st-century Jewish scholar and rabbi who lived in Palestine during the time of the Roman Empire.
In the 17th century, the name Joshewa gained some popularity among Puritan communities in England and America. One notable figure from this era was Joshewa Ambrose, an English Puritan minister who lived from 1624 to 1685 and served as a prominent religious leader in Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Another individual of note was Joshewa Leavitt, an American Puritan minister who lived from 1666 to 1717 and served as a pastor in Connecticut. He was known for his influential sermons and writings on religious topics.
While the name Joshewa has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been used by a few notable individuals across different eras and cultures, often with religious or scholarly connections. Its biblical origins and meaning of "the Lord is salvation" have contributed to its enduring presence, though it has never achieved widespread popularity on a global scale.
People
Joshewa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Joshewa 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
Joshewa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Joshewa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Joshewa 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Joshewa a common name?
We classify Joshewa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Joshewa most popular?
The single biggest year for Joshewa was 1980, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Joshewa is about 41 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 Joshewa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Joshewa a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Joshewa 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 Joshewa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Joshewa 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 Joshewa 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 Americans are named Joshewa?
Want to know how many Americans are named Joshewa? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.