Boys' name · since 1971
Josua
Josua has 773 recorded births since 1971 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1987 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,031 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 773
- born since 1971
- 1980s
- peak decade
Josua is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 773 have been recorded since 1971.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Josua has been recorded 773 times among boys since 1971, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, 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 1971 to 2022.
- #6,031 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 773 born since 1971
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Josua ranks #6,031 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 773 born since 1971, peaking in the 1980s.
- #6,031 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 773
- born since 1971
- 1980s
- peak decade
Josua's 773 recorded births place it above 86.73% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
Josua's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Josua splits its recorded history at 1994: 33% of all births land in the more recent half, 67% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1972 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1987 peak of 50 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Josua popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2022
- Peak year (1987)
- 50
- Annual births at peak, across 52 years of records
Josua by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (335 births, 43% of the file).
1980s was Josua's strongest decade.
335 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Josua births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 101
1970s
101 births
- 1980s
1980s
335 births
- 1990s
1990s
168 births
- 2000s 129
2000s
129 births
- 2010s 27
2010s
27 births
- 2020s 13
2020s
13 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 335 births (43% of all-time use).
How Josua 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 Josua's total volume
Josua by state
Where Josua concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 39 | 5.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 25 | 3.2% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.6% |
39 of 773 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Josua's data
- Josua's decade-level peak was the 1980s (335 total births); usage has since declined to 13 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Josuas (39 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Josua
Nearby Names Like Josua
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Josua
Compare Josua side by side: Josua vs Joseph Josua vs Joshua Josua vs Jose
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Josua: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1987)
Similar record span (~51 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1971–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Josua 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 August 2026.