Josh Charles
There are approximately 3 people named Josh Charles living in the United States today. That makes this name combination very rare, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 114,251,446 Americans.
This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name Josh with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Charles. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and Census demographics where available.
Expected bearers
3
1 in 114,251,446
Named Josh
14K
Alive today
Named Charles
72K
Alive today
US population
343M
Denominator
Estimated living: 14K
Rarity: Uncommon
Gender: Male
Peak year: 1979
Average age: 38
Top Census group: White (81.2%)
Estimated bearers: 72K
Rarity: Uncommon
Census rank: #526
Per 100K: 20.97
Top ancestry: Black (55.2%)
First name trend
Josh: popularity over time
Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name Josh. The peak year was 1979 with 531 births. The average person named Josh today is 38 years old.
Babies born per year
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Josh
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the first name Josh, from the 2020 US Census Bureau first-name tables. The largest published group is White at 81.2%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Josh described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the name Josh at the time of the Census. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White81.2% · 101,968
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 9,756
- Black or African American4.2% · 5,316
- Two or more races3.4% · 4,243
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3,302
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1,038
Ethnicity
Ancestry of the Charles surname
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Charles, from the 2020 US Census Bureau. The largest group is Black at 55.2%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the surname Charles described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the surname Charles at the time of the Census. A surname does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- Black or African American55.2% · 34,620
- White28.9% · 18,110
- Hispanic or Latino8.9% · 5,591
- Two or more races3.9% · 2,443
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 1,095
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 827
Methodology
How we calculated this
The first name Josh has a living-bearer frequency of 0.0042% of the US population, based on 14,479 estimated living Americans carrying this first name (from SSA birth records going back to 1880, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables).
Even though the Census Bureau now publishes first-name tables, we do not use that file as the main first-name input for this estimate. The latest first-name Census snapshot is from 2020, which makes it 6 years old today. Because Census first-name data is only released once every 10 years, SSA birth records plus CDC survival rates give a better current estimate of how many people are likely alive with the name Josh right now.
The surname Charles appears at a rate of 20.97 per 100,000 residents in the 2020 Census Bureau surname file, which translates to a frequency of 0.0210%.
Multiplying these two independent frequencies against the current US population of 342,754,338 gives an expected count of approximately 3 people with the full name Josh Charles. This assumes statistical independence between first and last names, which is a simplification but produces reasonable estimates for most combinations.
Related
Other people named Josh
Related
Other people with the surname Charles
FAQ
Josh Charles: questions and answers
How many people are named Josh Charles?
We estimate approximately 3 people in the United States share the full name Josh Charles. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 Americans. This is calculated by combining the first-name frequency (0.0042%) with the surname frequency (20.97 per 100K) against the current US population.
How rare is the name Josh Charles?
We classify Josh Charles as "Very Rare". About 1 in 114,251,446 Americans share this exact first and last name combination.
Is Josh a male or female name?
Josh is predominantly male. Out of 17,193 total SSA registrations, 100.0% were male and 0.0% were female. See the full Josh profile for detailed gender data.
Where does this data come from?
First-name data comes from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files (1880 to 2024). Surname data comes from the 2020 US Census Bureau decennial surname tables. Living-bearer estimates use CDC actuarial life tables to adjust for mortality. Read the full methodology.
How many people are named Josh Charles?
You can see how common the name Josh Charles is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.