Joshua is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Joshua means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Joshua across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Joshua has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Joshua is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “the Lord is salvation”. the biblical successor to Moses.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 1,253,882 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 144,390 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6,961 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 3,843 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 6,474 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 17,661 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 Joshua per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1989 (44,308/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2003 (8,190/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2004 (364/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2002 (300/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2002 (238/yr).
Joshua has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1989, when it ranked #6 nationally (given to 44,405 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Josh · Joshuah · Jeshua · Jashua · Jousha · Jushua · Josha · Joshawa
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