Nameling

Josh

Gender
Boy
Say it
JOSH
Origin
Hebrew
UK rank, 2025
#617 for boys
US rank, 2025
#1,699 for boys

Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland

Josh is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God is salvation”. In 2025 it ranked 617th for boys in the UK (68 babies) and 1,699th for boys in the US (96 babies).

What does Josh mean?

Hebrew: short form of Joshua

“God is salvation”

More on Wiktionary.

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

Josh is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 68 boys in the UK and 96 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Josh in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#617among boys
Babies in 2025
68about 1 in 4,400 boys
Five-year trend
Fallingdown 55% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 68 boys in the UK were named Josh, making it the 617th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 357th. Its busiest year was 2002, with 967 boys.

Half of all the boys named Josh in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2010. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

Among boys in 2025, it was 758th in England and Wales, 208th in Scotland and 395th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1994 (#81) and 2004 (#100).

1996Busiest: 967 in 20022025
Josh in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202568#617
202468#618
202374#577
202286#512
2021115#421
2020141#357
2019136#371
2018190#294
2017203#287
2016238#258
2015253#248
2014326#200
2013341#191
2012368#183
2011425#156
2010454#143
2009553#121
2008641#107
2007634#111
2006713#103
2005763#96
2004843#86
2003894#78
2002967#68
2001817#83
2000609#101
1999659#93
1998798#85
1997726#90
1996716#87

How popular is Josh in the US?

Rank in 2025
#1,699among boys
Babies in 2025
96about 1 in 18,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 10% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 96 boys in the US were named Josh, making it the 1,699th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,679th. Its busiest year was 1979, with 531 boys.

Half of all the boys named Josh in the US since 1880 were born between 1971 and 2001, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 531 in 19792025
Josh in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
202596#1,699
202495#1,735
202389#1,803
202294#1,760
2021100#1,658
202094#1,679
2019103#1,606
2018113#1,513
2017129#1,373
2016108#1,539
2015123#1,396
2014166#1,143
2013152#1,180
2012167#1,109
2011180#1,050
2010178#1,082
2009205#973
2008271#809
2007316#724
2006302#715
2005266#751
2004308#663
2003273#698
2002274#676
2001246#713
2000195#819
1999194#788
1998166#870
1997189#780
1996166#842
1995183#790
1994169#812
1993186#765
1992181#773
1991181#755
1990212#698
1989213#681
1988240#611
1987233#593
1986220#600
1985248#559
1984259#534
1983299#487
1982298#492
1981347#442
1980461#371
1979531#339
1978431#371
1977383#399
1976387#393
1975456#361
1974493#345
1973401#386
1972356#420
1971325#449
1970248#510
1969193#563
1968135#649
1967105#723
1966101#734
1965105#724
196495#774
1963115#730
1962102#757
1961132#673
1960129#690
1959128#673
195869#906
195753#1,040
195653#1,031
195550#1,065
195451#1,044
195358#938
195254#967
195141#1,122
195039#1,138
194946#1,028
194845#1,046
194740#1,147
194643#1,045
194534#1,121
194435#1,120
194325#1,398
194231#1,244
194131#1,187
194031#1,208
193932#1,141
193833#1,125
193738#1,031
193644#924
193534#1,123
193439#1,038
193330#1,202
193240#1,056
193130#1,253
193028#1,368
192936#1,154
192844#1,041
192741#1,112
192646#1,018
192545#1,022
192447#1,032
192349#992
192250#999
192136#1,199
192045#1,035
191941#1,063
191849#949
191742#1,003
191655#840
191540#996
191439#870
191337#777
191239#681
191130#548
191023#598
190921#574
190826#489
190719#559
190613#674
190517#574
190418#515
190321#451
190217#521
190118#453
190025#455
189917#457
189822#418
189721#411
189623#407
189527#358
189418#464
189316#459
189222#404
189119#397
189024#358
188922#379
188824#377
188715#438
188629#317
188523#364
188427#336
188327#318
188214#489
188122#348
188031#299

Names like Josh

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Jake Joseph Jacob James Adam Jack John Nathan Jordan Matthew Joel Jamie

Names related to Josh

Joshua Josiah Jose Joss Jos Joash Josyah Joas Joshue

More Hebrew names

Noah Isabella Elijah Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias Mateo Elsie Levi

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Josh: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/josh, updated 20 October 2026.