Joshua

Last seen for girls in 2024 at #11,122 · #66 for boys in 2025, 4,773 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2002 · 25,998 births
Debut · boys
57 births
In top 100 · boys
55 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
1,248,929
since 1880

Joshua over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202011peak #3, 2002boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#664,773
2024#11,1228#575,268
2023#13,4626#605,070
2022#13,5926#605,197
2021#585,531
2020#10,2509#536,015
2019#9,73610#486,631
2018#407,446
2017#8,77612#388,353
2016#6,66318#359,258
2015#6,72118#339,850
2014#7,30216#2510,929
2013#8,58013#2111,861
2012#6,87218#1712,681
2011#5,35825#1413,797
2010#8,70113#1115,467
2009#5,70924#617,671
2008#5,57425#419,231
2007#3,98339#420,669
2006#4,57631#322,336
2005#3,46143#323,261
2004#1,614120#324,214
2003#3,23245#325,106
2002#3,10346#325,998
2001#2,96348#426,024
2000#2,70854#427,543
1999#2,36862#427,265
1998#2,65151#428,095
1997#2,22961#528,289
1996#1,91575#529,175
1995#2,15562#530,720
1994#1,84177#431,374
1993#1,419114#433,590
1992#1,357122#436,221
1991#1,219141#441,226
1990#1,066166#443,237
1989#885208#444,100
1988#652297#442,653
1987#678272#440,002
1986#616307#437,542
1985#657276#442,194
1984#655266#440,266
1983#718232#536,687
1982#720241#738,004
1981#700240#639,024
1980#747222#736,052
1979#762211#931,120
1978#981141#1225,204
1977#1,127113#1422,068
1976#1,19195#1816,845
1975#1,24192#2614,567
1974#1,53263#2911,599
1973#2,09438#428,057
1972#3,06221#595,033
1971#3,65217#803,650
1970#5,06110#1502,175
1969#5,4568#1971,321
1968#7,0165#271731
1967#314563
1966#340486
1965#352461
1964#407389
1963#416372
1962#436335
1961#423354
1960#454314
1959#440328
1958#477276
1957#467273
1956#491239
1955#471245
1954#524193
1953#551164
1952#523178
1951#530165
1950#537160
1949#490183
1948#587129
1947#568141
1946#608113
1945#61297
1944#601104
1943#65595
1942#591111
1941#62893
1940#62690
1939#569101
1938#72471
1937#60592
1936#573101
1935#66380
1934#574106
1933#569102
1932#560111
1931#61194
1930#64590
1929#72974
1928#562118
1927#569117
1926#612105
1925#605109
1924#594114
1923#539129
1922#571124
1921#562125
1920#542128
1919#503139
1918#552118
1917#522122
1916#58199
1915#472136
1914#52887
1913#49278
1912#50760
1911#44643
1910#39644
1909#48728
1908#45229
1907#45726
1906#42427
1905#54918
1904#49219
1903#45121
1902#52117
1901#39922
1900#36536
1899#37624
1898#29839
1897#34629
1896#35230
1895#34029
1894#37624
1893#37123
1892#28441
1891#34924
1890#35824
1889#29433
1888#24550
1887#24741
1886#22855
1885#25143
1884#26541
1883#20255
1882#23550
1881#24440
1880#21157
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Joshua was already there! It came in at #211, and was given to 57 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1901–1905, when fewer than 23 boys a year got the name.

Where Joshua is popular in 2011

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #24 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 114 boysAKMaine: #69 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 217 boysMEVermont: #56 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 158 boysVTNew Hampshire: #23 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 102 boysNHWashington: #27 for boys · 239 births · 1 in 150 boysWAIdaho: #35 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 154 boysIDMontana: #59 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 173 boysMTNorth Dakota: #91 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 274 boysNDMinnesota: #55 for boys · 133 births · 1 in 212 boysMNIllinois: #17 for boys · 502 births · 1 in 135 boysILWisconsin: #56 for boys · 131 births · 1 in 209 boysWIMichigan: #17 for boys · 385 births · 1 in 125 boysMINew York: #16 for boys · 942 births · 1 in 111 boysNYMassachusetts: #31 for boys · 244 births · 1 in 123 boysMARhode Island: #13 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 77 boysRIOregon: #24 for boys · 125 births · 1 in 145 boysORNevada: #34 for boys · 89 births · 1 in 150 boysNVWyoming: #11 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 84 boysWYSouth Dakota: #81 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 249 boysSDIowa: #75 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 264 boysIAIndiana: #32 for boys · 229 births · 1 in 157 boysINOhio: #29 for boys · 412 births · 1 in 145 boysOHPennsylvania: #22 for boys · 512 births · 1 in 119 boysPANew Jersey: #17 for boys · 408 births · 1 in 104 boysNJConnecticut: #25 for boys · 129 births · 1 in 113 boysCTCalifornia: #15 for boys · 1,914 births · 1 in 120 boysCAUtah: #12 for boys · 184 births · 1 in 116 boysUTColorado: #20 for boys · 207 births · 1 in 131 boysCONebraska: #28 for boys · 65 births · 1 in 151 boysNEMissouri: #30 for boys · 207 births · 1 in 156 boysMOKentucky: #16 for boys · 191 births · 1 in 116 boysKYWest Virginia: #34 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 133 boysWVVirginia: #21 for boys · 346 births · 1 in 119 boysVAMaryland: #12 for boys · 279 births · 1 in 100 boysMDDelaware: #10 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 73 boysDEArizona: #26 for boys · 265 births · 1 in 138 boysAZNew Mexico: #8 for boys · 97 births · 1 in 98 boysNMKansas: #24 for boys · 109 births · 1 in 146 boysKSArkansas: #9 for boys · 137 births · 1 in 106 boysARTennessee: #13 for boys · 305 births · 1 in 114 boysTNNorth Carolina: #11 for boys · 489 births · 1 in 104 boysNCSouth Carolina: #11 for boys · 220 births · 1 in 96 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #9 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 78 boysDCOklahoma: #18 for boys · 145 births · 1 in 140 boysOKLouisiana: #12 for boys · 206 births · 1 in 115 boysLAMississippi: #9 for boys · 160 births · 1 in 87 boysMSAlabama: #9 for boys · 232 births · 1 in 99 boysALGeorgia: #4 for boys · 587 births · 1 in 94 boysGAHawaii: #21 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 123 boysHITexas: #12 for boys · 1,465 births · 1 in 119 boysTXFlorida: #7 for boys · 956 births · 1 in 96 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Georgia#4 · 1 in 94
  2. Florida#7 · 1 in 96
  3. New Mexico#8 · 1 in 98
  4. District of Columbia#9 · 1 in 78
  5. Mississippi#9 · 1 in 87

Best ever in a state: #1 in Montana, 1980.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Georgia#45871 in 94
Florida#79561 in 96
New Mexico#8971 in 98
Alabama#92321 in 99
Arkansas#91371 in 106
District of Columbia#9521 in 78
Mississippi#91601 in 87
Delaware#10501 in 73
North Carolina#114891 in 104
South Carolina#112201 in 96
Wyoming#11221 in 84
Louisiana#122061 in 115
Maryland#122791 in 100
Texas#121,4651 in 119
Utah#121841 in 116
Rhode Island#13521 in 77
Tennessee#133051 in 114
California#151,9141 in 120
Kentucky#161911 in 116
New York#169421 in 111
Illinois#175021 in 135
Michigan#173851 in 125
New Jersey#174081 in 104
Oklahoma#181451 in 140
Colorado#202071 in 131
Hawaii#21391 in 123
Virginia#213461 in 119
Pennsylvania#225121 in 119
New Hampshire#23481 in 102
Alaska#24301 in 114
Kansas#241091 in 146
Oregon#241251 in 145
Connecticut#251291 in 113
Arizona#262651 in 138
Washington#272391 in 150
Nebraska#28651 in 151
Ohio#294121 in 145
Missouri#302071 in 156
Massachusetts#312441 in 123
Indiana#322291 in 157
Nevada#34891 in 150
West Virginia#34641 in 133
Idaho#35531 in 154
Minnesota#551331 in 212
Vermont#56111 in 158
Wisconsin#561311 in 209
Montana#59221 in 173
Maine#69221 in 217
Iowa#75571 in 264
South Dakota#81161 in 249
North Dakota#91131 in 274

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Joshua
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 9 spots since 2024 (#57#66)
  • 13 spots since 2020 (#53#66)
  • 33 spots since 2015 (#33#66)
  • Biggest jump: 155 spots in 1939 (#724#569)
  • Biggest drop: 167 spots in 1929 (#562#729)
Rise & fade · boys
122 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 2002 at #3 (25,998 births)
  • Births halved by 2012, 10 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 10 for 31 yrs
  • Top 10: 31 yrs · run 1979–2009
  • Top 100: 55 yrs · run 1971–2025
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 44
  • Highest: 1 in 44 boys born in 1985 were named Joshua (2.3%)
  • Latest: 1 in 358 boys born in 2025 (0.28%)
  • Its best rank, #3 in 2002, was only 1 in 75 (1.3%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1980s
  • 31.7% of all boys named Joshua (396,524) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s465#202 (1883)#242
1890s287#284 (1892)#345
1900s243#365 (1900)#460
1910s926#396 (1910)#500
1920s1,143#539 (1923)#589
1930s948#560 (1932)#609
1940s1,156#490 (1949)#597
1950s2,221#440 (1959)#501
1960s5,326#197 (1969)#361
1970s140,318#9 (1979)#44
1980s396,524#4 (1989)#5
1990s329,192#4 (1990)#4
2000s232,053#3 (2002)#4
2010s106,273#11 (2010)#28
2020s31,854#53 (2020)#59

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Joshua in 2011

girls
#5,358
25 births · 1 in 70,363 girls
boys
#14
13,797 births · 1 in 138 boys

Top girls' names in 2011

  1. #1Sophia21,863
  2. #2Isabella19,931
  3. #3Emma18,825
  4. #4Olivia17,335
  5. #5Ava15,518
  6. #6Emily14,277
  7. #7Abigail13,266
  8. #8Madison12,406
  9. #9Mia11,543
  10. #10Chloe11,007
  11. #5,358Joshua25

Top boys' names in 2011

  1. #1Jacob20,403
  2. #2Mason19,530
  3. #3William17,362
  4. #4Jayden17,019
  5. #5Noah16,883
  6. #6Michael16,823
  7. #7Ethan16,702
  8. #8Alexander15,717
  9. #9Aiden15,520
  10. #10Daniel15,307
  11. #14Joshua13,797
More about 2011

girls

1,759,066 girls got a published name in 2011; 1 in 70,363 of them was named Joshua, which outranked 72.6% of the 19,590 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joshua
  1. #5,207Zemirah26
  2. #5,207Zendaya26
  3. #5,207Zeva26
  4. #5,358Joshua25
  5. #5,358Abrar25
  6. #5,358Addeline25
  7. #5,358Adhya25
  8. #5,543Adair24
  9. #5,543Adalin24
  10. #5,543Adama24

Tied with 184 names at #5,358; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 2010
Risers
  1. 814Milania#1,629#815
  2. 554Alianna#1,529#975
  3. 444Hattie#1,438#994
  4. 419Aviana#1,185#766
  5. 414Avianna#1,249#835
Fallers
  1. 1,131Allisson#796#1,927
  2. 350Shaniya#565#915
  3. 346Brisa#464#810
  4. 335Alexus#976#1,311
  5. 273Abigale#909#1,182

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,899,252 boys got a published name in 2011; 1 in 138 of them was named Joshua, which outranked 99.9% of the 14,360 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 9.0% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joshua
  1. #11Anthony14,290
  2. #12Matthew14,184
  3. #13Elijah14,001
  4. #14Joshua13,797
  5. #15Liam13,450
  6. #16Andrew13,297
  7. #17James13,275
Biggest movers since 2010
Risers
  1. 869Flynn#1,806#937
  2. 601Raylan#1,299#698
  3. 415Brantley#735#320
  4. 405Bowen#1,127#722
  5. 328Crosby#1,068#740
Fallers
  1. 336Jencarlos#928#1,264
  2. 308Keshawn#997#1,305
  3. 284Octavio#928#1,212
  4. 268Talan#976#1,244
  5. 242Antony#956#1,198

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 2011