Joshula
A unique masculine name combining Joshua and Julia for meanings like "God is savior" and "youthful".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Joshula. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Joshula today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Joshula births was 1989 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Joshula. 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 Joshula. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1989
5 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
1989 SSA rank
#8,529
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Joshula: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Joshula 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 Joshula 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Joshula
The name Joshula is believed to have originated in the ancient Sumerian civilization, which flourished in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500 BC. It is derived from the Sumerian words "josh," meaning "leader," and "ula," meaning "protector" or "guardian." The name was likely bestowed upon individuals who were expected to take on leadership roles and safeguard their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Joshula can be found in the cuneiform inscriptions of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk, dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. These inscriptions reference a high-ranking military commander by the name of Joshula, who led the city's defense against invading forces from neighboring regions.
In ancient Mesopotamian mythology, Joshula was also the name of a minor deity associated with warfare and protection. This deity was often invoked by soldiers and warriors before going into battle, seeking divine guidance and safeguarding.
As civilizations rose and fell in the region, the name Joshula spread to neighboring cultures and underwent various linguistic transformations. In the ancient Akkadian language, it became "Jashulia," while in the Babylonian dialect, it was known as "Joshulia."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Joshula. One of the most famous was Joshula of Carthage (c. 250 BC - 183 BC), a Punic military commander who led the Carthaginian forces against the Romans during the Second Punic War. Despite his eventual defeat at the Battle of Zama, Joshula is remembered for his strategic brilliance and unwavering determination.
Another prominent figure was Joshula the Scribe (c. 1200 AD), a renowned calligrapher and scholar in the Islamic Golden Age. His exquisite calligraphic works adorned the walls of mosques and palaces across the Middle East, and his treatises on the art of calligraphy became influential texts for generations of scribes.
In the 16th century, Joshula ibn Khaldun (1522 - 1595) was a renowned Islamic philosopher and historian from the Ottoman Empire. His seminal work, "The Muqaddimah," laid the foundations for the academic disciplines of sociology, historiography, and economics, earning him the title of the "Father of Social Sciences."
During the Renaissance period, Joshula Bellini (1430 - 1516) was a celebrated Venetian painter known for his pioneering contributions to the art of oil painting. His masterpieces, such as the "Sacred Allegory" and "Madonna and Child," are celebrated for their rich colors, intricate details, and innovative techniques.
In more recent times, Joshula Chamberlain (1828 - 1914) was a Union Army officer who played a crucial role in the American Civil War. His decisive actions at the Battle of Gettysburg were instrumental in turning the tide of the war, earning him the prestigious Medal of Honor and cementing his place in American military history.
People
Joshula + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Joshula 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
Joshula: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Joshula?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Joshula 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Joshula a common name?
We classify Joshula as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Joshula most popular?
The single biggest year for Joshula was 1989, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Joshula is about 36 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 Joshula in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Joshula a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Joshula 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 Joshula still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Joshula 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 Joshula 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 share the name Joshula?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.