Joseph vs Joshua

Side-by-side comparison of Joseph and Joshua — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

Joseph

Boy name · Rank #32

Full profile →
Name B

Joshua

Boy name · Rank #57

Full profile →

Which name is more popular?

Metric Joseph Joshua
Current Rank #32 #57
Total Births (all years) 2,662,040 1,244,059
Peak Year 1956 1989
Peak Year Births 32,748 44,099
Peak Decade 1950ss 1980ss
Gender Boy Boy
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Joseph Joshua
1880ss 26,292 465
1890ss 29,000 287
1900ss 35,173 243
1910ss 179,300 926
1920ss 243,809 1,143
1930ss 180,565 948
1940ss 230,281 1,156
1950ss 300,006 2,222
1960ss 283,046 5,326
1970ss 244,838 140,325
1980ss 299,416 396,530
1990ss 260,738 329,184
2000ss 194,937 232,037
2010ss 115,686 106,229
2020ss 38,953 27,038

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Joseph Joshua
2014 12,151 10,926
2015 11,528 9,847
2016 10,961 9,253
2017 10,485 8,344
2018 9,677 7,443
2019 9,174 6,625
2020 8,479 6,011
2021 8,155 5,524
2022 7,828 5,195
2023 7,268 5,064
2024 7,223 5,244

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1880–2024.

← Compare different names