Hosea
Boy name · #2145 in 2025 · Very rare
Hosea is currently the #2145 boy name in the United States — 67 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2068, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 26,866 boys born in 2025 was named Hosea.
Babies named Hosea per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Hosea first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 10 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1925, when 74 boys were named Hosea — good for #766 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Hosea against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Hosea in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Hosea is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Hosea will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Hosea is most common
State-level data for Hosea is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Hosea
Statistically, parents drawn to Hosea tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hardy, Hiram, Emile, Hershel, and Harland.
HardyHiramEmileHershelHarlandBasilAkiraEldon
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Hosea | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 67 | #2145 |
| 2024 | 60 | #2345 |
| 2023 | 56 | #2416 |
| 2022 | 65 | #2217 |
| 2021 | 49 | #2623 |
| 2020 | 61 | #2235 |
| 2019 | 44 | #2808 |
| 2018 | 61 | #2230 |
| 2017 | 56 | #2319 |
| 2016 | 56 | #2335 |
| 2015 | 68 | #2068 |
| 2014 | 64 | #2138 |
| 2013 | 45 | #2623 |
| 2012 | 62 | #2155 |
| 2011 | 40 | #2904 |
| 2010 | 51 | #2429 |
| 2009 | 26 | #3919 |
| 2008 | 30 | #3561 |
| 2007 | 29 | #3591 |
| 2006 | 32 | #3306 |
| 2005 | 27 | #3528 |
| 2004 | 26 | #3534 |
| 2003 | 29 | #3186 |
| 2002 | 28 | #3188 |
| 2001 | 37 | #2562 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Hosea a popular boy name?
Hosea ranked #2145 among boys in 2025 with 67 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2068.
When was the name Hosea most popular?
Hosea peaked in 1925, when 74 American boys received the name (ranked #766 that year). Since 1925 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Hosea?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 26,866 newborn American boys was named Hosea. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.