The first name Joshua
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “yahweh”, “yahweh is salvation”, “to save”.
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ(j)u.ə/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Joshua means “yahweh”, “yahweh is salvation”, “to save” in Hebrew.
From Biblical Hebrew יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshúa'), perhaps from הוֹשֵׁעַ (Hoshéa') with addition of יהוה (YHWH, “Yahweh”), thus meaning "Yahweh is salvation". See הוֹשִׁיעַ (hoshía', “to save”). By cognate a direct equivalent to Jesus via Latin Iēsūs and Ancient Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs) from Aramaic יֵשׁוּע (Yēšū́ʿ), akin to Hebrew יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshúa'), a variant of Yehoshúa'. The Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament consistently render the two Hebrew names Yehoshúa' (whence Joshua) and Yeshúa' (whence Jeshua) into Koine Greek as Iēsoûs (whence Jesus).
More names that mean god.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 938 boys were named Joshua, making it the 53rd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2003, with 8,190 births (#2).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Joshua with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Joshua at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 4,773 boys born in the United States were named Joshua, the 66th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1989, when 44,100 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Joshua in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Joshua
182 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Joshua BassettAmerican actor and singer-songwriter, born 2000
- Joshua KimmichGerman association football player (born 1995)
- Joshua ReynoldsEnglish painter (1723–1792)
- Joshua LederbergAmerican molecular biologist (1925–2008)
- Joshua KennedyAustralian association football player, born 1982
- Joshua JacksonCanadian actor, born 1978
- Joshua ZirkzeeDutch association football player (born 2001)
- Joshua LoganAmerican stage and film director and writer (1908-1988)
- Joshua BellAmerican violinist (born 1967)
- Joshua FishmanAmerican linguist (1926–2015)
- Joshua Lawrence ChamberlainAmerican military officer, professor, and 32nd Governor of Maine (1828–1914)
- Joshua GomezAmerican actor and composer, born 1975
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Joshua mean?
- Joshua means “yahweh”, “yahweh is salvation”, “to save” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Joshua?
- From Biblical Hebrew יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshúa'), perhaps from הוֹשֵׁעַ (Hoshéa') with addition of יהוה (YHWH, “Yahweh”), thus meaning "Yahweh is salvation". See הוֹשִׁיעַ (hoshía', “to save”). By cognate a direct equivalent to Jesus via Latin Iēsūs and Ancient Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs) from Aramaic…
- How popular is the name Joshua?
- In 2025, 938 boys born in England and Wales were named Joshua, ranking 53rd. Its peak was 2003, with 8,190 births.
- What are nicknames for Joshua?
- Common nicknames for Joshua include Josh, Joshy, Joshie.
- Is Joshua a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 1,253,882 US babies named Joshua since 1880 were boys.
- When was Joshua most popular?
- 1989 in the United States, when 44,100 babies were named Joshua, its highest rank at 4th.
- How do you pronounce Joshua?
- Joshua is /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ(j)u.ə/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Joshua?
- Josue.
- Is Joshua also a surname?
- Yes. Joshua is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.