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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202003peak #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 2003

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #3 for boys · 58 births · 1 in 55 boysAKMaine: #3 for boys · 104 births · 1 in 53 boysMEVermont: #33 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 95 boysVTNew Hampshire: #5 for boys · 113 births · 1 in 49 boysNHWashington: #3 for boys · 428 births · 1 in 79 boysWAIdaho: #7 for boys · 95 births · 1 in 88 boysIDMontana: #2 for boys · 66 births · 1 in 61 boysMTNorth Dakota: #28 for boys · 32 births · 1 in 101 boysNDMinnesota: #10 for boys · 386 births · 1 in 78 boysMNIllinois: #8 for boys · 992 births · 1 in 80 boysILWisconsin: #12 for boys · 349 births · 1 in 84 boysWIMichigan: #3 for boys · 846 births · 1 in 67 boysMINew York: #10 for boys · 1,514 births · 1 in 74 boysNYMassachusetts: #10 for boys · 513 births · 1 in 68 boysMARhode Island: #7 for boys · 98 births · 1 in 54 boysRIOregon: #4 for boys · 211 births · 1 in 93 boysORNevada: #4 for boys · 186 births · 1 in 71 boysNVWyoming: #3 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 59 boysWYSouth Dakota: #23 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 99 boysSDIowa: #15 for boys · 172 births · 1 in 95 boysIAIndiana: #5 for boys · 493 births · 1 in 78 boysINOhio: #5 for boys · 947 births · 1 in 71 boysOHPennsylvania: #7 for boys · 904 births · 1 in 71 boysPANew Jersey: #11 for boys · 664 births · 1 in 73 boysNJConnecticut: #5 for boys · 307 births · 1 in 58 boysCTCalifornia: #7 for boys · 3,222 births · 1 in 78 boysCAUtah: #3 for boys · 320 births · 1 in 68 boysUTColorado: #2 for boys · 405 births · 1 in 75 boysCONebraska: #5 for boys · 129 births · 1 in 82 boysNEMissouri: #7 for boys · 415 births · 1 in 81 boysMOKentucky: #5 for boys · 368 births · 1 in 63 boysKYWest Virginia: #8 for boys · 146 births · 1 in 62 boysWVVirginia: #4 for boys · 686 births · 1 in 60 boysVAMaryland: #1 for boys · 536 births · 1 in 54 boysMDDelaware: #6 for boys · 77 births · 1 in 54 boysDEArizona: #8 for boys · 491 births · 1 in 82 boysAZNew Mexico: #1 for boys · 195 births · 1 in 54 boysNMKansas: #4 for boys · 200 births · 1 in 83 boysKSArkansas: #2 for boys · 269 births · 1 in 55 boysARTennessee: #3 for boys · 577 births · 1 in 62 boysTNNorth Carolina: #3 for boys · 883 births · 1 in 58 boysNCSouth Carolina: #4 for boys · 360 births · 1 in 57 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #6 for boys · 71 births · 1 in 65 boysDCOklahoma: #3 for boys · 299 births · 1 in 70 boysOKLouisiana: #3 for boys · 378 births · 1 in 68 boysLAMississippi: #5 for boys · 249 births · 1 in 60 boysMSAlabama: #3 for boys · 443 births · 1 in 53 boysALGeorgia: #2 for boys · 936 births · 1 in 61 boysGAHawaii: #1 for boys · 104 births · 1 in 49 boysHITexas: #3 for boys · 2,241 births · 1 in 79 boysTXFlorida: #2 for boys · 1,529 births · 1 in 61 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Hawaii#1 · 1 in 49
  2. New Mexico#1 · 1 in 54
  3. Maryland#1 · 1 in 54
  4. Arkansas#2 · 1 in 55
  5. Montana#2 · 1 in 61

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Hawaii#11041 in 49
Maryland#15361 in 54
New Mexico#11951 in 54
Arkansas#22691 in 55
Colorado#24051 in 75
Florida#21,5291 in 61
Georgia#29361 in 61
Montana#2661 in 61
Alabama#34431 in 53
Alaska#3581 in 55
Louisiana#33781 in 68
Maine#31041 in 53
Michigan#38461 in 67
North Carolina#38831 in 58
Oklahoma#32991 in 70
Tennessee#35771 in 62
Texas#32,2411 in 79
Utah#33201 in 68
Washington#34281 in 79
Wyoming#3341 in 59
Kansas#42001 in 83
Nevada#41861 in 71
Oregon#42111 in 93
South Carolina#43601 in 57
Virginia#46861 in 60
Connecticut#53071 in 58
Indiana#54931 in 78
Kentucky#53681 in 63
Mississippi#52491 in 60
Nebraska#51291 in 82
New Hampshire#51131 in 49
Ohio#59471 in 71
Delaware#6771 in 54
District of Columbia#6711 in 65
California#73,2221 in 78
Idaho#7951 in 88
Missouri#74151 in 81
Pennsylvania#79041 in 71
Rhode Island#7981 in 54
Arizona#84911 in 82
Illinois#89921 in 80
West Virginia#81461 in 62
Massachusetts#105131 in 68
Minnesota#103861 in 78
New York#101,5141 in 74
New Jersey#116641 in 73
Wisconsin#123491 in 84
Iowa#151721 in 95
South Dakota#23411 in 99
North Dakota#28321 in 101
Vermont#33241 in 95

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 2003

girls
#3,232
45 births · 1 in 40,603 girls
boys
#3
25,106 births · 1 in 79 boys

Top girls' names in 2003

  1. #1Emily25,693
  2. #2Emma22,719
  3. #3Madison20,201
  4. #4Hannah17,638
  5. #5Olivia16,154
  6. #6Abigail15,932
  7. #7Alexis14,867
  8. #8Ashley14,519
  9. #9Elizabeth14,123
  10. #10Samantha13,870
  11. #3,232Joshua45

Top boys' names in 2003

  1. #1Jacob29,658
  2. #2Michael27,129
  3. #3Joshua25,106
  4. #4Matthew24,011
  5. #5Andrew22,162
  6. #6Joseph21,394
  7. #7Ethan21,362
  8. #8Daniel21,072
  9. #9Christopher20,753
  10. #10Anthony20,149
More about 2003

girls

1,827,145 girls got a published name in 2003; 1 in 40,603 of them was named Joshua, which outranked 82.5% of the 18,439 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 9.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joshua
  1. #3,187Tiffanie46
  2. #3,187Zahria46
  3. #3,187Zania46
  4. #3,232Joshua45
  5. #3,232Alandra45
  6. #3,232Allena45
  7. #3,232Amaree45
  8. #3,291Aalyah44
  9. #3,291Aislyn44
  10. #3,291Alexas44

Tied with 58 names at #3,232; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 2002
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,689Laci#2,126 → #437
  2. ↑ 1,528Karyme#2,467 → #939
  3. ↑ 1,500Roselyn#2,467 → #967
  4. ↑ 1,326Kaydence#2,310 → #984
  5. ↑ 1,170Sherlyn#2,081 → #911
Fallers
  1. ↓ 481Odalys#951 → #1,432
  2. ↓ 400Kari#975 → #1,375
  3. ↓ 334Litzy#501 → #835
  4. ↓ 289Alysha#960 → #1,249
  5. ↓ 252Roxana#861 → #1,113

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

boys

1,975,349 boys got a published name in 2003; 1 in 79 of them was named Joshua, which outranked 100.0% of the 12,761 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 11.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Joshua
  1. #1Jacob29,658
  2. #2Michael27,129
  3. #3Joshua25,106
  4. #4Matthew24,011
  5. #5Andrew22,162
  6. #6Joseph21,394
Biggest movers since 2002
Risers
  1. ↑ 790Maddox#1,372 → #582
  2. ↑ 762Jahir#1,571 → #809
  3. ↑ 519Yair#1,236 → #717
  4. ↑ 450Jamarion#1,094 → #644
  5. ↑ 413Aydan#1,154 → #741
Fallers
  1. ↓ 819Lisandro#898 → #1,717
  2. ↓ 621Shemar#970 → #1,591
  3. ↓ 362Jaheem#891 → #1,253
  4. ↓ 337Keandre#998 → #1,335
  5. ↓ 334Savion#568 → #902

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

See the top 100 for 2003 →