Josh

Josh - A very unique male name

Josh appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #577. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Josh and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Josh? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Josh. The baby boy name Josh was given to 55 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1639 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 26,660 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Josh peaked in popularity 47 years ago in 1979 on position 336.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Josh, 1-5?

Josh is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Josh is currently topping the baby name charts in Massachusetts at position #845 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,328.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Josh is where you live.

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Josh origin and meaning

Hebrew — short form of Joshua

God is salvation — as the short form of Joshua, from Hebrew Yehoshua

Josh is Joshua's everyday short form, used as a standalone name in small numbers for over a century even while Joshua itself did the heavy lifting. It peaked as a given name in 1979 and has held roughly steady since 2020.

Attested etymology

Josh is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Josh, pop culture references for the name Josh and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Josh

We've found the following names that sound similar to Josh, sorted by popularity.

Joshua / Jack / Jose / Joe / Jesse / Jesus / Jay / Josiah / Jake / Jessie /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Josh

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Josh a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Josh?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

JOSH · /dʒɒʃ/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Joshua — The full form; a separate established name.

Famous bearers

• Josh Groban — Singer; born Joshua Groban and known professionally as Josh (b. 1981) Contemporary
• Josh Hutcherson — Actor known for The Hunger Games; born Joshua Hutcherson (b. 1992) Contemporary
• Josh Brolin — Actor; born Joshua Brolin and known as Josh (b. 1968) Contemporary

Style

BiblicalShort formNickname name

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Josh for Joshua's biblical weight in a one-syllable, no-fuss form that never needs shortening.

Worth knowing

• Many will assume Josh is short for Joshua and write the full name on documents.