Yoshua
Boy name · #3210 in 2025 · Uniqueness 47/100
Yoshua ranks #3210 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 37 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #5507, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 48,649 boys born in 2025 was named Yoshua.
The 41-year story
Yoshua first appears in the Social Security records in 1984, when 8 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 37 babies and a rank of #3181. 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 Yoshua per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Yoshua against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Yoshua in class?
Yoshua scores 47 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 Yoshua is most common
Geography matters for names, and Yoshua is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Yoshuas were FL (7), CA (6), NY (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Yoshua
Statistically, parents drawn to Yoshua tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Yehoshua, Yeshua, Yeshaya, Shraga, and Yishai.
YehoshuaYeshuaYeshayaShragaYishaiYulianYostinYahia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Yoshua | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #3181 |
| 2024 | 31 | #3605 |
| 2023 | 29 | #3802 |
| 2022 | 31 | #3617 |
| 2021 | 26 | #4011 |
| 2020 | 15 | #5699 |
| 2019 | 20 | #4806 |
| 2018 | 14 | #6036 |
| 2017 | 19 | #4935 |
| 2016 | 20 | #4776 |
| 2015 | 16 | #5507 |
| 2014 | 18 | #5066 |
| 2013 | 16 | #5404 |
| 2012 | 21 | #4533 |
| 2011 | 18 | #4983 |
| 2010 | 24 | #4099 |
| 2009 | 18 | #5102 |
| 2008 | 27 | #3823 |
| 2007 | 23 | #4243 |
| 2006 | 13 | #6094 |
| 2005 | 13 | #5875 |
| 2004 | 19 | #4421 |
| 2003 | 12 | #5877 |
| 2002 | 8 | #7643 |
| 2001 | 11 | #6013 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Yoshua a popular boy name?
Yoshua ranked #3210 among boys in 2025 with 37 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5507.
When was the name Yoshua most popular?
Yoshua peaked in 2025, when 37 American boys received the name (ranked #3181 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Yoshua?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 48,649 newborn American boys was named Yoshua. It scores 47/100 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.