Joshniel
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God establishes".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Joshniel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Joshniel today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Joshniel births was 2017 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Joshniel. 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 Joshniel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2017
6 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2017 SSA rank
#11,436
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Joshniel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Joshniel 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 Joshniel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Joshniel
The given name Joshniel is believed to have originated from the Hebrew language and culture. It is a combination of two Hebrew words, "Yosh" meaning "upright" or "straight," and "El," which refers to God. The name can be interpreted as "God is upright" or "upright with God."
In ancient Hebrew texts and religious scriptures, the name Joshniel does not appear explicitly. However, it bears resemblance to names like Joshua, meaning "Yahweh is salvation," and Daniel, which means "God is my judge." These names share a common root with Joshniel, reflecting the Hebrew tradition of incorporating divine references into personal names.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Joshniel are relatively scarce. One notable individual was Joshniel Nussbaum, a German-Jewish scholar and Rabbi who lived in the 16th century (c. 1550-1622). He was known for his contributions to biblical exegesis and Hebrew grammar.
Another historical figure named Joshniel was Joshniel Turell (1775-1859), an American physician and author from Boston, Massachusetts. He wrote several medical treatises and was also involved in the early efforts to establish public health initiatives in the city.
In the 19th century, Joshniel Tuttle (1824-1891) was a prominent American lawyer and politician from New York. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and was actively involved in the anti-slavery movement.
Later, in the early 20th century, Joshniel Stephens (1905-1988) was a British artist and sculptor known for his abstract works and contributions to the modernist movement in art.
Another notable individual named Joshniel was Joshniel Dubois (1920-1994), a French writer and philosopher who explored existentialist themes in his literary works.
While the name Joshniel has been relatively uncommon throughout history, these examples demonstrate its presence across various cultures and time periods, reflecting the influence of Hebrew naming traditions and the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.
People
Joshniel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Joshniel 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
Joshniel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Joshniel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Joshniel 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 Joshniel a common name?
We classify Joshniel 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 Joshniel most popular?
The single biggest year for Joshniel was 2017, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Joshniel is about 9 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 Joshniel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Joshniel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Joshniel 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 Joshniel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Joshniel 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 Joshniel 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 common is the name Joshniel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.