Oshea
Variant of biblical name Joshua meaning "God is salvation", Hebrew origin.
Name Census estimates that about 1,216 living Americans carry the first name Oshea. It is a predominantly male name (95.1% of registrations). The average person named Oshea today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oshea births was 2019 (66 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oshea. 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
- • Although Oshea is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 61 girls registered with the name since 1880.
- • Oshea is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 18 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 281,870 Americans
Peak year
2019
66 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,728
Tracked since 1979
Gender
Gender distribution for Oshea
Oshea leans heavily male at 95.1% of total registrations, but 61 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Oshea as a male name
- Ranked #2,728 in 2024
- 48 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (64 births)
Oshea as a female name
- Ranked #16,987 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 1997 (7 births)
Popularity
Oshea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oshea from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 370 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Oshea remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oshea 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 Oshea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Osheas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. California, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Oshea, while Washington, Ohio, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Oshea
The name Oshea has its origins in the ancient Hebrew language, tracing back to the biblical era around the 13th century BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word "Hoshea," which means "salvation" or "deliverance." This name has a rich history and has been associated with several notable figures throughout the ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oshea can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. Hoshea, the original Hebrew form of the name, was the name of the last king of the northern kingdom of Israel, who reigned during the 8th century BCE. He is mentioned in the Book of Kings as a ruler who failed to lead his people away from idolatry and ultimately faced the Assyrian invasion and the fall of Samaria.
In the New Testament, the name takes on a slightly different form, appearing as "Hosea." This was the name of one of the minor prophets of ancient Israel, whose book in the Old Testament bears his name. The Book of Hosea is known for its powerful metaphors and allegories that depict God's unwavering love for his unfaithful people.
As the name traveled through different cultures and languages, it underwent various transformations. One such variation is the Irish form, "Oshea," which gained popularity in the early medieval period. St. Oshea, an Irish monk and scholar who lived in the 6th century, was one of the earliest known bearers of this particular spelling.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Oshea. One of the most famous was Jeremiah O'Shea (1718-1798), an Irish Catholic priest and scholar who played a significant role in the preservation of Irish language and culture during the 18th century. Another notable figure was John Oshea (1835-1905), an Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina.
In the realm of literature, the name Oshea is associated with the Irish novelist and playwright John O'Shea (1839-1905), best known for his novel "Lashed but not Leashed." Additionally, Michael O'Shea (1906-1973) was an American actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows during the mid-20th century.
The name Oshea has also been carried by several influential figures in the field of sports. One such individual was John O'Shea (born 1981), an Irish former professional footballer who played for clubs like Manchester United and Sunderland, and represented the Republic of Ireland national team.
While the name Oshea has undergone various transformations over the centuries, its essence and meaning have remained deeply rooted in the concept of salvation and deliverance, reflecting its rich biblical and cultural heritage.
People
Oshea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oshea as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Oshea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oshea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,216 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oshea 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 281,870 US residents.
Is Oshea a common name?
We classify Oshea as "Rare". It ranks above 91.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,234 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oshea most popular?
The single biggest year for Oshea was 2019, when 66 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oshea is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Oshea a male name?
Yes, 95.1% of people registered as Oshea 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.