Yosiah
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God supports" or "helped by God".
Name Census estimates that about 368 living Americans carry the first name Yosiah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yosiah today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yosiah births was 2023 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yosiah. 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
368
~ 1 in 931,398 Americans
Peak year
2023
51 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,939
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Yosiah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yosiah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 194 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
Yosiah 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 Yosiah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yosiahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Florida, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Yosiah, while Ohio, California, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yosiah
The name Yosiah originates from the Hebrew language and culture, with its earliest known usage dating back to ancient Biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Yoshiyahu, which consists of two components: "Yah" (a shortened form of the name of the Hebrew God Yahweh) and "yoshia" (meaning "to save" or "to deliver"). Thus, the name Yosiah can be interpreted as "Yahweh is salvation" or "Yahweh will deliver."
One of the most notable historical references to the name Yosiah is found in the Old Testament of the Bible. Josiah, the son of King Amon, was a righteous ruler who reigned over the Kingdom of Judah from approximately 640 to 609 BCE. During his reign, Josiah initiated significant religious reforms, restoring the worship of Yahweh and repairing the Temple in Jerusalem. His actions are recorded in the Books of Kings and Chronicles, and he is revered as one of the most influential kings of ancient Israel.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Yosiah can be traced back to the Biblical era, with the aforementioned King Josiah being one of the first known individuals to bear this name. Throughout history, several other notable figures have carried the name Yosiah, including:
1. Josiah Quincy (1709-1784), a prominent American lawyer, merchant, and political leader from Massachusetts, who played a significant role in the events leading up to the American Revolution.
2. Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903), an American scientist and mathematician, renowned for his contributions to the fields of thermodynamics, chemistry, and statistical mechanics. He is considered one of the founders of modern physical chemistry.
3. Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795), an English potter and entrepreneur, best known for his pioneering work in the production of high-quality ceramics and the establishment of the Wedgwood company, which became a global brand.
4. Josiah Bartlett (1729-1795), an American physician and statesman from New Hampshire, who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
5. Josiah Henson (1789-1883), an American abolitionist and author, who was born into slavery but eventually escaped to Canada. His autobiography, "The Life of Josiah Henson," is believed to have inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
The name Yosiah has endured throughout the centuries, maintaining a rich historical and cultural significance that spans various regions and religious traditions. Its origins in the Hebrew language and its association with Biblical figures have contributed to its enduring popularity and significance.
People
Yosiah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yosiah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yosiah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yosiah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 368 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yosiah 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 931,398 US residents.
Is Yosiah a common name?
We classify Yosiah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 371 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yosiah most popular?
The single biggest year for Yosiah was 2023, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yosiah is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yosiah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yosiah 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.