Josh
Meaning
“God is salvation (short form of Joshua, common casual name)”
The formal names behind Josh
Josh is an established short form of this name.
Joshua · Hebrew origin · God is salvation
Josh's name family
One shared root links 4 names across 2 languages.
Shared root: from Hebrew Yehoshua "Yahweh is salvation"; Jesus continues the same name through its contracted late-Hebrew form Yeshua
The constellation
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Josh peaked in the 1970s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
264 people · the #20,873 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 1,000,000 · median age 4
Among people named Josh living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 129 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Josh
Most people given the name Josh in the United States were born between 1970 and 2009. The Josh you meet today is most often in his 30s or 40s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Josh deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Josh truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Josh fits with your family’s names and surname.
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