Find out how popular the first name Yoshua has been for the last 40 years (from 1984 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Yoshua by gender

Based on the last 40 years of data, Yoshua is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 27 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Yoshua.

The history of the first name Yoshua

The name Yoshua is derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshua, which means "Yahweh is salvation" or "Yahweh is deliverance." The name has its origins in the ancient Israelite culture and can be traced back to the biblical figure Joshua, who was a prominent figure in the Old Testament.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Yoshua is in the Book of Exodus, where Joshua is described as the successor of Moses and the leader who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. The name is also mentioned in various other books of the Old Testament, including the Book of Numbers and the Book of Joshua.

One of the earliest and most famous individuals with the name Yoshua was Joshua, the son of Nun, who lived in the 13th century BCE. He was a military leader and a prophet who played a crucial role in the conquest of Canaan and the establishment of the Israelite tribes in the Promised Land.

In the 1st century CE, there was a prominent Jewish figure named Yoshua ben Perachyah, who was a Tanna (a scholar of the Mishnah) and a leading figure in the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish council of the time.

During the Renaissance period, there was a Spanish painter named Yoshua Reynolds (1549-1615), who was known for his religious paintings and murals depicting biblical scenes.

In the 19th century, Yoshua Chamberlain (1828-1914) was an American military officer who served as a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He played a significant role in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg.

Another notable figure with the name Yoshua was Yoshua Lederberg (1925-2008), an American molecular biologist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1958 for his work on bacterial genetics and the discovery of bacterial conjugation.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Yoshua was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Yoshua, please contact us.

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