Yoshua
Boy name · #3210 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Yoshua? In official American birth records, Yoshua has been tracked continuously since 1984, giving it 41 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Yoshua against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Yoshua in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Yoshua is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Yoshua will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Yoshua is most common
State-level data for Yoshua is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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
How old is the name Yoshua?
In official American birth records, the name Yoshua first appeared in 1984 (over 41 years ago), when 8 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 41 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.