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.
- #17,780 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 95
- born since 1978
- 1980s
- peak 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.
- #17,780 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 95 born since 1978
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Oshua ranks #17,780 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 95 born since 1978, peaking in the 1980s.
- #17,780 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 95
- born since 1978
- 1980s
- peak decade
Oshua's 95 recorded births place it above 60.87% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
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 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
1980s is the heaviest window (82 births, 86% of the file).
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
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Keep exploring Oshua
Nearby Names Like Oshua
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Oshua
Compare Oshua side by side: Oshua vs Oshea Oshua vs Oshay Oshua vs Oshae
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Oshua: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1986)
Similar record span (~11 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, 1978–1989 (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 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 August 2026.