Josua

A boy's name of Hebrew origin with 768 recorded U.S. births.

Boy's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

Joshua

Josua is a boy's baby name of Hebrew origin, a variant spelling of Joshua — from the Hebrew Yehoshua, meaning 'God is salvation' or 'the Lord saves.' Josua is the German and Scandinavian form of Joshua, used in Lutheran and Reformed communities across Northern Europe.

Josua preserves the biblical meaning of its more common English form while wearing a distinctly Continental European appearance. It arrived in America through German and Scandinavian immigration and has the clean, classical feel of names that have changed little across two thousand years.

EtymologyShow more

The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Josua's final sounds are open, warm — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. In English-language naming, masculine names frequently end on harder consonants or closed syllables, creating a sense of decisiveness and strength. Josua softens that pattern, giving it a more versatile feel.

Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Josua's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.

At a Glance

768

Total births

Since 1971

1987

Peak

50 births

1971

First recorded

50 years of data

Compare Josua with another name

Popularity Over Time

Josua has 45+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1971.

First appeared: 1971Peak: 1987 (50 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Josua
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2020s	8	#9102	▼
2010s	27	#12519	▼
2000s	129	#6814	▼
1990s	168	#4084	▼
1980s	335	#1978	▲
1970s	101	#3601	—

The Story of Josua

A Millennial name

Peaking in 1987, Josua is a Millennial-era classic. Boys named Josua are most likely born between 1977 and 1997.

How rare is Josua?

With 768 total births on record, Josua remains a rare and distinctive pick.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1971, peaked in the 1980s with 335 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Josua by the numbers

Would fill 16 school buses
Meeting one Josua per day would take 2.1 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(45 years, 1971–2020)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Josua
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2020	8	#9102	+3 (60.0%)
2017	5	#13185	0
2016	5	#13165	0
2014	5	#13008	0
2013	5	#13048	-2 (-28.6%)
2010	7	#10188	-4 (-36.4%)
2009	11	#7452	+6 (120.0%)
2008	5	#13531	-8 (-61.5%)
2007	13	#6439	+2 (18.2%)
2006	11	#7167	-2 (-15.4%)
2005	13	#6037	-8 (-38.1%)
2004	21	#4188	+5 (31.3%)
2003	16	#4927	+9 (128.6%)
2002	7	#8902	-10 (-58.8%)
2001	17	#4587	+2 (13.3%)
2000	15	#4911	+4 (36.4%)
1999	11	#5844	-4 (-26.7%)
1998	15	#4517	+4 (36.4%)
1997	11	#5462	-2 (-15.4%)
1996	13	#4740	-3 (-18.8%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Josua a boy's or girl's name?

Josua is primarily a boy's name.

When was Josua most popular?

Josua reached its peak popularity in 1987 with 50 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Josua?

Josua is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 768 babies in the U.S. since 1971. Its peak was in 1987.

Explore More

By Length5-letter names By OriginHebrew names By EndingNames in -a TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1971–2020