# Joshua (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/joshua/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname, transferred from the given name

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Aramaic |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 3,403 |
| US rank (2010) | 9,552 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 90,727 people |
| Change since 2000 | +19% (2,852 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ(j)u.ə/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Josue |

## Etymology

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).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Joshua in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 23% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 57% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.1% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 8.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.6% |
| Two or more races | 4.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Joshua in the United Kingdom.

## People named Joshua

- Anthony Joshua, British boxer (born 1989)

## Similar surnames

Joshi, Jose, Joss, Joyce, Jack, Jasso, Jacks, Josey, Jessee, Jessie, Jesse, Jeske.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.