Joshua

Hebrew

"the Lord is my salvation"

Joshua Origin and Meaning

The name Joshua is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord is my salvation".

Joshua was derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshu’a, from the roots yeho, referring to God, and yasha’, meaning “to save.” Joshua shares origins with the name Jesus, which comes from the Aramaic variation Yeshu’a. An important figure in the Old Testament, Joshua was the successor to Moses who finally led the Israelites into the Promised Land, inspiring the hymn "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho."

Joshua was a Top 10 name from 1983 until 2010 but has dropped a bit since. It was, and remains, a popular Jewish baby name. Still, owing to recent popularity, it's tough for any new Joshua to stand out from the crowd. Joshua retains its popularity because it manages to present a relaxed, attractive image, with a bit of the Old West mixed in with its biblical persona. BTW, basketball star Tony Parker went straight to the nickname Josh for his son.

Joshua's soft-sounding middle and vowel ending make it one of the new gentle boys' names, joining Biblical brothers Noah and Asher. If you like Joshua but want something more distinctive, you might consider Josiah or Jasper.

Joshua Popularity

• 60 US 2022
• 173 Nameberry 2023
• 31 England 2021
• 63 Scotland 2022
• 69 Ireland 2022
• 72 Australia 2022
• 68 New Zealand 2022
• 72 Germany 2022
• 97 Netherlands 2022
• 155 Switzerland 2022
• 78 Canada 2022
• 151 Mexico 2021