Josias
Boy name · #950 in 2025 · Uniqueness 55/100
Josias ranks #950 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 247 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1231, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,287 boys born in 2025 was named Josias.
The 50-year story
Josias first appears in the Social Security records in 1975, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 247 babies and a rank of #950. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Babies named Josias per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Josias against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Josias in class?
Josias scores 55 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Josias is most common
Geography matters for names, and Josias is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Josiass were TX (46), CA (28), FL (23), NJ (15), NY (15). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Josias
Statistically, parents drawn to Josias tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jeremias, Mattias, Alias, Nehemias, and Esaias.
JeremiasMattiasAliasNehemiasEsaiasIsaiasOziasAnanias
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Josias | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 247 | #950 |
| 2024 | 214 | #1038 |
| 2023 | 193 | #1103 |
| 2022 | 201 | #1084 |
| 2021 | 176 | #1143 |
| 2020 | 199 | #1031 |
| 2019 | 139 | #1312 |
| 2018 | 123 | #1418 |
| 2017 | 137 | #1314 |
| 2016 | 136 | #1320 |
| 2015 | 148 | #1231 |
| 2014 | 147 | #1237 |
| 2013 | 114 | #1444 |
| 2012 | 107 | #1498 |
| 2011 | 98 | #1577 |
| 2010 | 96 | #1626 |
| 2009 | 110 | #1511 |
| 2008 | 78 | #1861 |
| 2007 | 91 | #1669 |
| 2006 | 73 | #1856 |
| 2005 | 51 | #2297 |
| 2004 | 59 | #2024 |
| 2003 | 62 | #1885 |
| 2002 | 55 | #1998 |
| 2001 | 51 | #2050 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Josias a popular boy name?
Josias ranked #950 among boys in 2025 with 247 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1231.
When was the name Josias most popular?
Josias peaked in 2025, when 247 American boys received the name (ranked #950 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Josias?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,287 newborn American boys was named Josias. It scores 55/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.