Josh
Boy name · #1699 in 2025 · Very rare
Josh is currently the #1699 boy name in the United States — 96 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1396, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,750 boys born in 2025 was named Josh.
Babies named Josh per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Josh first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 31 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1979, when 531 boys were named Josh — good for #339 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 Josh against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Josh in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Josh is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Josh will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Josh is most common
Geography matters for names, and Josh is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Josh is most common in FL (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.1 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Josh is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Josh
Josh belongs to the Joshua family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Joshua family went to about 4,869 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #65, versus #1699 for Josh alone.
Names like Josh
Statistically, parents drawn to Josh tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jed, Judd, Jamin, Reggie, and Heath.
JedJuddJaminReggieHeathJaimeJermaineToby
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Josh | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 96 | #1699 |
| 2024 | 95 | #1735 |
| 2023 | 89 | #1803 |
| 2022 | 94 | #1760 |
| 2021 | 100 | #1658 |
| 2020 | 94 | #1679 |
| 2019 | 103 | #1606 |
| 2018 | 113 | #1513 |
| 2017 | 129 | #1373 |
| 2016 | 108 | #1539 |
| 2015 | 123 | #1396 |
| 2014 | 166 | #1143 |
| 2013 | 152 | #1180 |
| 2012 | 167 | #1109 |
| 2011 | 180 | #1050 |
| 2010 | 178 | #1082 |
| 2009 | 205 | #973 |
| 2008 | 271 | #809 |
| 2007 | 316 | #724 |
| 2006 | 302 | #715 |
| 2005 | 266 | #751 |
| 2004 | 308 | #663 |
| 2003 | 273 | #698 |
| 2002 | 274 | #676 |
| 2001 | 246 | #714 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Josh a popular boy name?
Josh ranked #1699 among boys in 2025 with 96 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1396.
When was the name Josh most popular?
Josh peaked in 1979, when 531 American boys received the name (ranked #339 that year). Since 1979 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Josh?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,750 newborn American boys was named Josh. 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.