Osiah
A Hebrew name meaning "God's salvation" or "saved by God".
Name Census estimates that about 290 living Americans carry the first name Osiah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Osiah today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Osiah births was 2024 (52 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Osiah. 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
290
~ 1 in 1,181,912 Americans
Peak year
2024
52 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,582
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Osiah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Osiah from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 187 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
Osiah 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 Osiah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Osiahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Osiah, while Florida, Texas, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Osiah
The given name Osiah is a Hebrew name with deep roots in ancient Judaic culture. Its origins can be traced back to the biblical era, deriving from the Hebrew word "Hoshea," which means "salvation" or "deliverance." This name was particularly prevalent among the ancient Israelites and carried significant religious connotations.
In the biblical Book of Numbers, Osiah (also spelled Hoshea or Hosea) was the original name of the prophet and leader Joshua before Moses changed it. The name change symbolized Joshua's role as the successor to Moses and the one who would lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. This association with a prominent biblical figure contributed to the name's enduring legacy within the Jewish tradition.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Osiah was Osiah ben Jezaniah, a Jewish scholar and scribe who lived in the 5th century CE. He is credited with contributing to the preservation and transmission of the Hebrew Bible during a critical period in Jewish history.
In later centuries, the name Osiah gained popularity among various Jewish communities across Europe and the Middle East. Notable individuals include Osiah ben Jacob Abravanel (1428-1508), a Portuguese Jewish scholar and writer who lived during the Spanish Inquisition, and Osiah Wilner (1810-1899), a prominent Hasidic rabbi from Galicia (present-day Poland/Ukraine).
The name Osiah also found its way into other cultures and religions. In the 17th century, Osiah Sofer was an influential Muslim scholar and jurist in the Ottoman Empire. His works on Islamic law and jurisprudence were widely studied and respected.
Another notable figure was Osiah Whittaker (1716-1786), an English Quaker and philanthropist who advocated for the abolition of slavery and supported various charitable causes. His legacy as a humanitarian and advocate for social justice has been celebrated by Quaker communities.
While the name Osiah has its roots in ancient Hebrew culture, it has transcended religious and cultural boundaries, embraced by individuals from diverse backgrounds throughout history. The name's association with biblical figures, scholars, and notable personalities has contributed to its enduring legacy and significance across various traditions.
People
Osiah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Osiah 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
Osiah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Osiah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 290 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Osiah 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 1,181,912 US residents.
Is Osiah a common name?
We classify Osiah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 292 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Osiah most popular?
The single biggest year for Osiah was 2024, when 52 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Osiah is about 6 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 Osiah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Osiah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Osiah 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 Osiah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Osiah 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 Osiah 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 Osiah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.