Joshuan
Of Hebrew origin, meaning "God is salvation" or "Yahweh is generous".
Name Census estimates that about 267 living Americans carry the first name Joshuan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Joshuan today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Joshuan births was 2024 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Joshuan. 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.
People living today
267
~ 1 in 1,283,724 Americans
Peak year
2024
26 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,122
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Joshuan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Joshuan from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 83 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Joshuan 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 Joshuan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Joshuans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Joshuan
The given name Joshuan is derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshua, which means "Yahweh is salvation" or "God is salvation." It has its roots in the Old Testament and is a variant of the more common English spelling, Joshua. The name can be traced back to the Biblical figure Joshua, who was a prominent leader and successor to Moses in the Israelites' conquest of Canaan.
The earliest recorded use of the name Joshuan dates back to the 13th century BCE, when it was mentioned in the Book of Numbers as the name of the Israelite leader who led the Israelites into the Promised Land after the Exodus from Egypt. The name gained popularity among the Hebrew people and was widely used throughout ancient Israel.
In the Christian tradition, the name Joshuan is associated with Jesus Christ, as Joshua is considered a prefiguration of Christ in the Old Testament. This connection has contributed to the name's enduring popularity among Christians throughout history.
One of the most notable figures named Joshuan in history was Joshuan Heschel, a prominent Polish-Jewish rabbi, philosopher, and theologian of the 16th century. He was born in Kraków, Poland, in 1553 and is renowned for his contributions to Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah.
Another famous bearer of the name was Joshuan Sylvester, an English poet, and scholar who lived from 1563 to 1618. He is best known for his translation of works by French poets such as Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas and for his contributions to the development of English poetry.
In the 17th century, Joshuan Barnes, an English scholar and critic, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature. He was born in 1654 and published numerous works on Greek authors, including Homer and Euripides.
During the American Revolutionary War, Joshuan Huntington served as a brigadier general in the Continental Army. He was born in Connecticut in 1736 and played a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of Yorktown.
In more recent times, Joshuan Redman, an American jazz saxophonist, and composer, has gained widespread recognition for his contributions to the jazz scene. Born in 1969, he has released numerous albums and has collaborated with renowned artists such as Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Joshuan throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and time periods.
People
Joshuan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Joshuan 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
Joshuan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Joshuan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 267 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Joshuan 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 1,283,724 US residents.
Is Joshuan a common name?
We classify Joshuan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 270 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Joshuan most popular?
The single biggest year for Joshuan was 2024, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Joshuan is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Joshuan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Joshuan 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.
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.