Josziah
A masculine name with Hebrew origins meaning "God will increase."
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Josziah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Josziah today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Josziah births was 2015 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Josziah. 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 Josziah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2015
7 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#10,051
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Josziah: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Josziah 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 Josziah 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 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Josziah
The name Josziah finds its roots in the Hebrew language and culture, originating during the biblical era. It is a variant spelling of the more common name Josiah, which is derived from the Hebrew name "Yoshi'yahu," meaning "Yahweh has healed" or "Yahweh supports."
This name gained significant prominence in the Old Testament, as it was borne by King Josiah of Judah, who reigned from 640 to 609 BC. King Josiah is remembered for his efforts to restore the worship of Yahweh and his role in the rediscovery of the Book of the Law during the renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Josziah can be found in the writings of the Greek historian Josephus, who lived in the first century AD. He mentioned King Josiah in his work "Antiquities of the Jews," using the spelling "Iosiēs."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Josziah or its variants. In the 17th century, Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) was an English potter and entrepreneur who founded the famous Wedgwood company, known for its high-quality ceramics and innovative designs.
Another prominent figure was Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903), an American scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of thermodynamics, chemistry, and mathematics. His groundbreaking work on chemical equilibrium and the development of statistical mechanics has had a lasting impact on modern physics and chemistry.
In the realm of literature, Josiah Quincy (1772-1864) was an American politician and writer who served as the President of Harvard University from 1829 to 1845. His memoir, "The Life of Josiah Quincy of Massachusetts," provided valuable insights into the early years of the American Republic.
The name Josziah has also been carried by notable religious figures, such as Josiah Royce (1855-1916), an American philosopher and one of the founders of the American philosophical tradition known as absolute idealism.
Additionally, Josiah Stamp (1880-1941) was a British industrialist, civil servant, and economist who served as the Director of the Bank of England and played a significant role in shaping economic policies during the interwar period.
People
Josziah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Josziah 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
Josziah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Josziah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Josziah 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Josziah a common name?
We classify Josziah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Josziah most popular?
The single biggest year for Josziah was 2015, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Josziah is about 11 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 Josziah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Josziah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Josziah 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 Josziah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Josziah 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 Josziah 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 Josziah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.