Rising since 1987, #3,181 for boys today.
Popularity of Yoshua since 1984
Babies named Yoshua per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 16 |
| 1990s | 75 |
| 2000s | 157 |
| 2010s | 186 |
| 2020s | 169 |
Meaning & origin
Yoshua is a Spanish and Portuguese variant of Joshua with clear Hebrew roots meaning 'God is salvation'. First recorded in U.S. data in 1984, the name has been gradually rising in usage since 1987 and reached its peak rank of 3,181 in 2025, when approximately 1 in 46,164 baby boys received the name. It is most popular in states with large Hispanic populations, including Florida, New York, and California. As a cross-cultural name, Yoshua offers a distinctive alternative to the more common Joshua while maintaining the same strong biblical heritage.
Yoshua is a Spanish and Portuguese variant of Joshua, derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ), meaning 'God is salvation'. It is closely related to Jesus, the Greek form of the Aramaic short form Yeshua. The name has been used among Jewish and Christian communities for centuries and appears in the Old Testament as the successor of Moses.
Where Yoshua is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Yosh, Shua
Sibling names for Yoshua
Names that share Yoshua's style, for a brother or sister.
