Joshua
Boy name · #66 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Joshua? In official American birth records, Joshua has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Joshua ranks #66 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 4,773 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #33, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 377 boys born in 2025 was named Joshua.
Babies named Joshua per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Joshua first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 57 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1989, when 44,100 boys were named Joshua — good for #4 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Joshua against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Joshua in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Joshua is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Joshua is most common
Geography matters for names, and Joshua is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Joshua is most common in DC (8.7 per 1,000), DE (6.8 per 1,000), MD (5.6 per 1,000), AK (4.8 per 1,000), NJ (4.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 3.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Joshua is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Joshua
Joshua carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Joshua family went to about 4,869 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #65, versus #66 for Joshua alone.
Names like Joshua
Statistically, parents drawn to Joshua tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jonathan, Andrew, Aaron, Justin, and Jordan.
JonathanAndrewAaronJustinJordanRyanAnthonyJesse
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Joshua | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,773 | #66 |
| 2024 | 5,268 | #57 |
| 2023 | 5,070 | #60 |
| 2022 | 5,197 | #60 |
| 2021 | 5,531 | #58 |
| 2020 | 6,015 | #53 |
| 2019 | 6,631 | #48 |
| 2018 | 7,446 | #40 |
| 2017 | 8,353 | #38 |
| 2016 | 9,258 | #35 |
| 2015 | 9,850 | #33 |
| 2014 | 10,929 | #25 |
| 2013 | 11,861 | #21 |
| 2012 | 12,681 | #17 |
| 2011 | 13,797 | #14 |
| 2010 | 15,467 | #11 |
| 2009 | 17,671 | #6 |
| 2008 | 19,231 | #4 |
| 2007 | 20,669 | #4 |
| 2006 | 22,336 | #3 |
| 2005 | 23,261 | #3 |
| 2004 | 24,214 | #3 |
| 2003 | 25,106 | #3 |
| 2002 | 25,998 | #3 |
| 2001 | 26,024 | #4 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Joshua?
In official American birth records, the name Joshua first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 57 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Joshua a popular boy name?
Joshua ranked #66 among boys in 2025 with 4,773 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #33.
When was the name Joshua most popular?
Joshua peaked in 1989, when 44,100 American boys received the name (ranked #4 that year). Since 1989 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Joshua?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 377 newborn American boys was named Joshua. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.