Total births
95
Boys' name · since 1978
Oshua
Oshua has 95 recorded births since 1978 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1986 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 95
- total births
- 1978–1989
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 86%
- born in that decade
95 boys have been named Oshua since 1978, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Oshua recorded 95 times among boys since 1978, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1978 to 1989.
- 95 total births
- 1978–1989 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 86% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
95 boys have been named Oshua since 1978, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 1989.
- 95
- total births
- 1978–1989
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 86%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
86% of everyone ever named Oshua was born in this single decade.
1986
Single peak year
14 babies were named Oshua in 1986 - its busiest year on record.
Oshua's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Oshua's full recorded timeline at 1983, 65% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 35% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1980, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1986 peak of 14 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Oshua at a glance
Last recorded 1989Peak year
1986
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1978
Oshua popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1978–1989
- Peak year (1986)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 12 years of records
Oshua by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Oshua's strongest decade.
82 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 86% of all-time use.
Oshua births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 13
1970s
13 births
- 1980s
1980s
82 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 82 births (86% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Oshua? ▼
Oshua has been given to 95 babies in the U.S. since 1978, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1989. 14 babies were born in 1986, its single highest year.
When was Oshua most popular? ▼
Oshua was most popular in the 1980s decade with 82 total births. The single peak year was 1986.
How long has the name Oshua been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Oshua since 1978 -- 12 years through the most recent 1989 data.
What names are similar to Oshua? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Oshea, Oshay, Oshae, Osher, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
Keep exploring Oshua
Nearby Names Like Oshua
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Oshua
Oshea Boy
#2734 1,227 births
Oshay Boy
#9246 400 births
Oshae Boy
#11424 249 births
Osher Boy
#6255 227 births
Oshen Boy
#8727 150 births
Compare Oshua side by side: Oshua vs Oshea Oshua vs Oshay Oshua vs Oshae
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1978–1989 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Oshua: Baby Name Since 1978 - 95 Births, Peak 1986." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/oshua. 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 Oshua 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.