Total births
148,958
Boys' name · since 1880
Josiah
Josiah has 148,958 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2017 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #53
- among boys today
- 148,958
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
148,958 babies have been named Josiah since 1880, making it today's #53 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Josiah has been recorded 148,958 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #53 nationally and more common than 99.6% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. 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.
- #53 among boys today
- 148,958 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.6% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Josiah is currently the #53 boys' name in America, more common than 99.6% of boys - 148,958 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #53
- among boys today
- 148,958
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Josiah vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#53
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.6% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Josiah was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
7,079 babies were named Josiah in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Josiah compares
148,958 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Josiah's all-time total is 406x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Josiah | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 148,958 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 7,079 | 23 | 22,252 |
Josiah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Josiah splits its recorded history at 1953: 99% of all births land in the more recent half, 1% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1901 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2017 peak of 7,079 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Josiah at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2017
Current rank
#53
Active since
1880
Josiah popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 7,079
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Josiah popularity over time - girls
462 total births recorded since 1981 (Josiah as girls' name)
Josiah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Josiah's strongest decade.
63,132 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Josiah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 193
1880s
193 births
- 1890s 108
1890s
108 births
- 1900s 77
1900s
77 births
- 1910s 308
1910s
308 births
- 1920s 278
1920s
278 births
- 1930s 206
1930s
206 births
- 1940s 164
1940s
164 births
- 1950s 195
1950s
195 births
- 1960s 173
1960s
173 births
- 1970s 945
1970s
945 births
- 1980s 4,406
1980s
4,406 births
- 1990s 10,916
1990s
10,916 births
- 2000s
2000s
33,258 births
- 2010s
2010s
63,132 births
- 2020s
2020s
34,599 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 63,132 births (42% of all-time use).
How Josiah 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 Josiah's total volume
Josiah vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Josiah by state
Where Josiah concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 18,977 | 12.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 16,972 | 11.4% |
| #3 | Florida | | 9,839 | 6.6% |
| #4 | New York | | 7,307 | 4.9% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 5,652 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 5,500 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 5,178 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 4,971 | 3.3% |
California share of Josiah's total US births 12.7%
Even split
18,977 of 148,958 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Josiah appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Josiah? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 148,958 babies named Josiah. Today it holds rank #53 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2017, with 7,079 births.
When was Josiah most popular? ▼
Josiah was most popular in the 2010s decade with 63,132 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Josiah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Josiah are California (18,977 births), Texas (16,972 births), Florida (9,839 births).
How long has the name Josiah been used? ▼
Records for Josiah go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Josiah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Joseph, Joshua, Jose, Josue, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Josiah's data
- Josiah's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (63,132 total births) through the 2020s (34,599) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Josiahs (18,977 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 Josiah
Nearby Names Like Josiah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Josiah
Joseph Boy
#32 2,669,490 births
Joshua Boy
#57 1,248,929 births
Jose Boy
#91 592,512 births
Josue Boy
#294 57,689 births
Josh Boy
#1736 17,288 births
Compare Josiah side by side: Josiah vs Joseph Josiah vs Joshua Josiah vs Jose
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Josiah
Roman #52
104,653 births · Peak 2025
Ezekiel #54
83,605 births · Peak 2022
Charles #51
2,434,659 births · Peak 1947
Thiago #55
35,200 births · Peak 2025
Cooper #50
123,702 births · Peak 2025
Isaiah #56
254,020 births · Peak 2006
Caleb #49
324,350 births · Peak 2002
Joshua #57
1,248,929 births · Peak 1989
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. "Josiah: #53 Boys' Name - 148,958 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/josiah. 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 Josiah 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.