How to say it
JOSH · u · a
ˈdʒɒʃ.u.ə
Masculine
Joshua
Yahweh is salvation
What it means
Hebrew Yehoshua, 'Yahweh is salvation.' Moses's successor, the figure who led the Israelites into Canaan and won the battle of Jericho. The Hebrew form of Jesus.
Joshua is the English rendering of the Hebrew Yehoshua, 'Yahweh is salvation.' In the Old Testament Joshua succeeds Moses and leads the Israelites into the promised land; the Book of Joshua tells that story. The Hebrew Yehoshua became Yeshua in later usage, which became Iēsous in Greek and Jesus in English, so Joshua and Jesus are forms of the same name, separated by centuries of language drift. The English Joshua surged with the broader Puritan biblical-name revival in the 1970s and stayed in the US top 20 for decades. Josh has been the universal nickname since at least the 1980s.
How to spell Joshua
The standard spelling is Joshua. Common variants include Josh, Yehoshua, Jesús, but Joshua is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #3 in 2002, currently #66 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Josh is the universal short, and it's a fully separate identity for most Joshuas in adulthood.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Joshua (Bible) Moses's successor, led the Israelites into Canaan and won the battle of Jericho
- Joshua Bell American violinist, classical music's most-recognizable face
- Joshua Jackson Actor, Dawson's Creek and The Affair
Spelling variants
- Josh
- Yehoshua
- Jesús
Names with the same feeling
See Joshua from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Joshua mean?
- Hebrew Yehoshua, 'Yahweh is salvation.' Moses's successor, the figure who led the Israelites into Canaan and won the battle of Jericho. The Hebrew form of Jesus.
- What does Joshua mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, Joshua means "Yahweh is salvation." Joshua is the English rendering of the Hebrew Yehoshua, 'Yahweh is salvation.' In the Old Testament Joshua succeeds Moses and leads the Israelites into the promised land; the Book of Joshua tells that story. The Hebrew Yehoshua became Yeshua in later usage, which became Iēsous in Greek and Jesus in English, so Joshua and Jesus are forms of the same name, separated by centuries of language drift. The English Joshua surged with the broader Puritan biblical-name revival in the 1970s and stayed in the US top 20 for decades. Josh has been the universal nickname since at least the 1980s.
- How do you pronounce Joshua?
- Joshua is pronounced ˈdʒɒʃ.u.ə. Say it as JOSH-u-a, with the stress on the "josh" syllable.
- How do you spell Joshua?
- The standard spelling is Joshua. Common spelling variants include Josh, Yehoshua, Jesús.
- Is Joshua a boy or girl name?
- Joshua is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Joshua?
- Joshua ranked #66 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.