Josh is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Josh means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Josh across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Josh has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Josh is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “the Lord is salvation”. A short form of Joshua.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 17,288 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 9,134 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 4,176 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 938 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,376 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 56 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Josh per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 2002 (657/yr) · United States peaked in 1979 (531/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2002 (257/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2005 (142/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2005 (74/yr).
Josh has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1979, when it ranked #746 nationally (given to 531 babies that year).
Joshua · Joshuah · Jeshua · Jashua · Jousha · Jushua · Josha · Joshawa
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →