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Joshua as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Joshua

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The baby name Joshua is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdʒɒʃuə/ (BrE), /ˈdʒɑːʃuə/ (AmE); respelling: JOSH-oo-ə.

Joshua is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: /ˈdʒɒʃuə/ (BrE), /ˈdʒɑːʃuə/ (AmE); respelling: JOSH-oo-ə

What is the meaning of the name Joshua ?

The baby name Joshua is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈdʒɒʃuə/ (BrE), /ˈdʒɑːʃuə/ (AmE); respelling: JOSH-oo-ə.

Joshua is Hebrew in Origin.

Joshua stems from the Hebrew Yehoshua (יהושע), later shortened to Yeshua, meaning “Yahweh is salvation” or “the Lord saves.” In the Hebrew Bible, Joshua is Moses’ successor and the eponym of the Book of Joshua. The contracted form Yeshua passed through Greek (Iēsous) and Latin (Iesus) to become English Jesus, making Joshua and Jesus etymological relatives that diverged in English usage.

Used among Jews since antiquity, the name entered common use in English after the Reformation, favored by Puritans for its forthright biblical resonance. It climbed sharply in the late 20th century, ranking in the U.S. top 10 from the 1980s through the early 2000s and remaining familiar across the Anglophone world. Variants include Yehoshua and Yeshua (Hebrew/Aramaic), Josué (Spanish, French, Portuguese), Giosuè (Italian), Josua (German, Scandinavian), Jozua (Dutch), and Iosua (Romanian); common diminutive: Josh.

Joshua has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Joshua

Joshua Wong Politician · Born 1996 · People's Republic of China Joshua Wong is a prominent activist and politician from Hong Kong, known for his leadership role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement advocating for democratic reforms. He co-founded the political party Demosistō and has been a vocal critic of the Chinese government's policies in Hong Kong. Joshua Logan Actor · Born 1908 · United States Joshua Logan was an influential American director and writer, best known for his work on Broadway and in Hollywood. He co-wrote and directed the musical 'South Pacific' and directed the film adaptation of 'Picnic'. His contributions to theater and film have left a lasting impact on American entertainment. Father John Misty Musician · Born 1981 · United States Joshua Michael Tillman, better known as Father John Misty, is an American musician best known for his satirical lyrics and eccentric performance style. He’s especially known for songs and albums like “Real Love Baby,” “Nancy From Now On,” and I Love You, Honeybear.
Joshua Morrow Actor · Born 1974 · United States Joshua Morrow is an American actor best known for his long-running role as Nicholas Newman on the popular soap opera The Young and the Restless. He has been a central figure on the show since 1994, captivating audiences with his dramatic storylines. In addition to acting, he has also pursued a music career as part of the band 3Deep.

Celebrity babies named Joshua

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Joshua Donen Stanley Donen film producer ★★★★★

Joshua – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
Germany Boys 2025 #1 — 423
New Zealand Boys 2010 #6 298 99
KR 0 #8 1 201
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
BW 0 #18 2 960
PH Boys 0 #20 969 11,440
KR Boys 0 #24 4 897
NA 0 #26 8 2,537
ET Boys 0 #27 1 678
HT Boys 0 #34 1 903
ID 0 #36 4 2,238
EE 0 #37 1 1,051
MT 0 #40 4 1,767
NG Boys 0 #40 10,616 16,906
BI Boys 0 #41 4 917
HN Boys 0 #47 6 749
PR 0 #47 9 1,497
GH Boys 0 #48 1,236 8,138
PH 0 #48 49 5,607
PR Boys 0 #51 202 2,508
United States Boys 2024 #56 5,244 7,044
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
NG 0 #58 261 5,926
BW Boys 0 #64 92 4,685
JM 0 #65 23 3,714
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
JP 0 #69 9 4,057
IN 0 #70 2 2,963
CN 0 #72 14 3,857
AO 0 #73 5 2,729
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
MV Boys 0 #76 4 3,375
Canada Boys 2024 #78 346 2,588
SG Boys 0 #81 1,765 17,960
Switzerland Boys 2024 #84 54 1,769
GH 0 #84 214 5,396
TW 0 #89 12 4,523
CR 0 #98 61 5,526
QA 0 #100 7 7,011
SG 0 #100 197 11,010
CR Boys 0 #103 1,149 10,188
BN Boys 0 #105 29 6,332
PA 0 #106 25 3,797
OM 0 #107 10 6,215
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
ID Boys 0 #111 21 4,130
BN Girls 0 #112 3 5,459
KW 0 #114 8 5,216
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
EC 0 #120 2 2,502
MT Boys 0 #122 56 4,064
NA Boys 0 #126 115 6,830
Norway Boys 2025 #128 7 444
CY Boys 0 #128 4 3,473
ZA Boys 0 #131 4,799 25,619
MU 0 #136 2 3,613
PA Boys 0 #138 731 9,305
JM Boys 0 #140 150 6,876
Belgium Boys 2024 #145 44 401
AE 0 #150 28 10,220
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
LT Boys 0 #150 2 2,166
GT Boys 0 #155 734 7,625
TW Boys 0 #155 92 7,111
France Boys 2021 #156 328 2,865
Sweden Boys 2022 #158 25 1,509
MO Boys 0 #162 62 5,842
MY 0 #170 172 12,352
HU Boys 0 #172 3 3,954
UY 0 #181 2 2,477
LU Boys 0 #184 35 4,970
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
EC Boys 0 #197 43 3,322
DK 0 #200 7 5,198
MY Boys 0 #200 2,231 25,439
CN Boys 0 #201 126 9,639
PS 0 #201 18 5,692
MX Boys 0 #208 3,158 16,355
BG Boys 0 #209 11 3,850
SI Boys 0 #210 2 3,402
PL 0 #211 2 2,600
GT 0 #212 104 5,948
AO Girls 0 #216 2 4,575
ZA 0 #216 237 14,421
JP Boys 0 #222 76 7,909
AO Boys 0 #228 15 5,568
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NA Girls 0 #235 3 7,146
HK Boys 0 #237 489 12,905
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
HR Boys 0 #248 11 3,997
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
IL 0 #253 22 6,291
NL Boys 0 #253 1,563 5,873
MO Girls 0 #262 2 7,056
GR Boys 0 #271 3 6,912
SA 0 #273 23 10,560
AF Boys 0 #274 1 3,535
PE 0 #283 28 6,350
CZ Boys 0 #287 18 6,530
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
KZ Boys 0 #292 5 6,578
NL 0 #293 99 2,481
CL Boys 0 #294 753 13,390
DK Boys 0 #295 31 7,401
HK 0 #299 50 8,483
Germany Boys 0 #302 1,245 5,697
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
GH Girls 0 #303 22 6,973
MU Boys 0 #305 53 8,477
Canada Girls 1995 #308 5 2,434
PT Boys 0 #316 52 7,951
PL Boys 0 #317 19 6,459
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
QA Girls 0 #336 8 15,378
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
MX 0 #349 65 8,339
PE Boys 0 #354 1,049 14,506
CN Girls 0 #358 2 8,829
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
BO 0 #369 13 6,868
PH Girls 0 #369 22 13,098
Austria Boys 0 #373 70 2,180
UY Boys 0 #379 21 5,922
Finland Boys 0 #384 44 2,041
CL 0 #385 27 6,867
Germany 0 #385 53 2,542
JO Boys 0 #385 5 7,057
France Girls 2002 #389 4 2,727
YE 0 #397 2 8,639
CO Boys 0 #404 805 15,656
EG 0 #408 5 6,387
SD Boys 0 #416 30 10,523
Finland Boys 2026 #419 339 3,552
AR Boys 0 #421 47 7,628
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
PS Boys 0 #421 128 10,655
Spain 0 #422 31 2,326
IL Boys 0 #422 191 10,983
NG Girls 0 #424 464 15,093
CM Boys 0 #438 113 12,054
CO 0 #449 32 7,768
Spain Boys 0 #456 641 5,610
PA Girls 0 #471 11 9,861
RU Boys 0 #474 32 12,621
BH 0 #479 75 17,937
BO Boys 0 #487 106 9,244
LY 0 #492 44 12,703
KW Girls 0 #494 22 19,177
GT Girls 0 #496 10 7,500
QA Boys 0 #520 188 18,093
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
IR Boys 0 #537 16 10,162
IT Boys 0 #539 1,598 10,046
AE Girls 0 #544 10 20,968
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
CM Girls 0 #556 5 11,671
SG Girls 0 #569 18 18,916
CR Girls 0 #571 3 11,342
BD Boys 0 #597 9 10,045
KW Boys 0 #608 162 18,755
IT 0 #623 92 4,183
AR Girls 0 #628 3 8,289
LB 0 #642 17 13,263
IL Girls 0 #643 3 11,648
HK Girls 0 #644 7 16,104
IN Girls 0 #651 4 13,121
OM Boys 0 #683 199 17,948
BR Boys 0 #685 67 12,213
IQ Boys 0 #692 6 13,071
AE Boys 0 #694 427 22,615
SY 0 #715 14 11,684
CL Girls 0 #840 12 14,098
EG Boys 0 #854 33 15,035
TN 0 #861 5 13,765
IN Boys 0 #863 139 16,750
SA Girls 0 #895 41 25,931
United States Girls 2024 #909 8 8,487
PE Girls 0 #929 15 14,861
MY Girls 0 #964 31 24,821
ZA Girls 0 #1,041 101 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,055 24 16,140
MA 0 #1,106 23 20,986
MX Girls 0 #1,113 71 17,781
SA Boys 0 #1,116 542 28,008
DZ 0 #1,154 23 20,130
TR 0 #1,157 55 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,427 20 9,415

Joshua is popular in 95 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
France
Scotland, United Kingdom
Norway
Canada

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People also ask about Joshua

Joshua is predominantly a boy's name.
Joshua is a 3 syllable name, pronounced /ˈdʒɒʃuə/ (BrE), /ˈdʒɑːʃuə/ (AmE); respelling: JOSH-oo-ə.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Josh, Yehoshua, Yeshua, Josué, Josua and Joshua.
Across languages, Joshua has these equivalents: Hebrew: Yehoshua (יהושע), Aramaic: Yeshua (ישוע), Arabic: Yusha' (يوشع).
Yes, very popular — Joshua ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 13 countries.
Joshua ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Joshua's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 4 notable people named Joshua are in our database, including Joshua Wong (Politician), Joshua Logan (Actor), Father John Misty (Musician).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Joshua for their child, including Stanley Donen.