Total births
1,248,929
Boys' name · since 1880
Joshua
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 1,248,929 babies named Joshua, peaking in 1989. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #57
- among boys today
- 1,248,929
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
1,248,929 babies have been named Joshua since 1880, making it today's #57 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Joshua has been recorded 1,248,929 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #57 nationally and more common than 99.6% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #57 among boys today
- 1,248,929 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 99.6% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Joshua is currently the #57 boys' name in America, more common than 99.6% of boys - 1,248,929 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #57
- among boys today
- 1,248,929
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Joshua vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#57
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.6% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Joshua was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
44,100 babies were named Joshua in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Joshua compares
1,248,929 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Joshua's all-time total is 3,403x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Joshua | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,248,929 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 44,100 | 23 | 22,252 |
Joshua's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Joshua's full recorded timeline at 1953, 100% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 0% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1902, with just 17 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1989 peak of 44,100 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Joshua at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1989
Current rank
#57
Active since
1880
Joshua popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1989)
- 44,100
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Joshua popularity over time - girls
4,953 total births recorded since 1968 (Joshua as girls' name)
Joshua by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Joshua's strongest decade.
396,524 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Joshua births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 465
1880s
465 births
- 1890s 287
1890s
287 births
- 1900s 243
1900s
243 births
- 1910s 926
1910s
926 births
- 1920s 1,143
1920s
1,143 births
- 1930s 948
1930s
948 births
- 1940s 1,156
1940s
1,156 births
- 1950s 2,221
1950s
2,221 births
- 1960s 5,326
1960s
5,326 births
- 1970s 140,318
1970s
140,318 births
- 1980s
1980s
396,524 births
- 1990s
1990s
329,192 births
- 2000s
2000s
232,053 births
- 2010s 106,273
2010s
106,273 births
- 2020s 31,854
2020s
31,854 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 396,524 births (32% of all-time use).
How Joshua compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Joshua's total volume
Joshua vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Joshua by state
Where Joshua concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 138,215 | 11.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 100,573 | 8.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 67,735 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Florida | | 61,926 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 57,390 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 50,796 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 49,305 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 44,564 | 3.6% |
California share of Joshua's total US births 11.1%
Even split
138,215 of 1,248,929 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Joshua appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Joshua? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 1,248,929 babies named Joshua. Today it holds rank #57 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1989, with 44,100 births.
When was Joshua most popular? ▼
Joshua was most popular in the 1980s decade with 396,524 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Joshua most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Joshua are California (138,215 births), Texas (100,573 births), New York (67,735 births).
How long has the name Joshua been used? ▼
Records for Joshua go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Joshua? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Joseph, Jose, Josiah, Josue, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Joshua's data
- Joshua's decade-level peak was the 1980s (396,524 total births); usage has since declined to 31,854 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Joshuas (138,215 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Joshua
Nearby Names Like Joshua
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Joshua
Joseph Boy
#32 2,669,490 births
Jose Boy
#91 592,512 births
Josiah Boy
#53 148,958 births
Josue Boy
#294 57,689 births
Josh Boy
#1736 17,288 births
Compare Joshua side by side: Joshua vs Joseph Joshua vs Jose Joshua vs Josiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Joshua
Isaiah #56
254,020 births · Peak 2006
Wesley #58
247,713 births · Peak 2025
Thiago #55
35,200 births · Peak 2025
Jayden #59
253,989 births · Peak 2009
Ezekiel #54
83,605 births · Peak 2022
Bennett #60
72,514 births · Peak 2025
Josiah #53
148,958 births · Peak 2017
Christopher #61
2,069,596 births · Peak 1984
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Joshua: #57 Boys' Name - 1,248,929 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/joshua. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Joshua draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.