Josias
Boy name · #950 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Josias? In official American birth records, Josias has been tracked continuously since 1975, giving it 50 years of documented American history.
Josias ranks #950 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 247 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1231, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,287 boys born in 2025 was named Josias.
The 50-year story
Josias first appears in the Social Security records in 1975, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 247 babies and a rank of #950. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Babies named Josias per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Josias against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Josias in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Josias is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Josias will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Josias is most common
Geography matters for names, and Josias is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Josias is most common in NJ (0.4 per 1,000), TX (0.3 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), NC (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Josias is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Josias
Statistically, parents drawn to Josias tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jeremias, Mattias, Alias, Nehemias, and Esaias.
JeremiasMattiasAliasNehemiasEsaiasIsaiasOziasAnanias
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Josias | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 247 | #950 |
| 2024 | 214 | #1038 |
| 2023 | 193 | #1103 |
| 2022 | 201 | #1084 |
| 2021 | 176 | #1143 |
| 2020 | 199 | #1031 |
| 2019 | 139 | #1312 |
| 2018 | 123 | #1418 |
| 2017 | 137 | #1314 |
| 2016 | 136 | #1320 |
| 2015 | 148 | #1231 |
| 2014 | 147 | #1237 |
| 2013 | 114 | #1444 |
| 2012 | 107 | #1498 |
| 2011 | 98 | #1577 |
| 2010 | 96 | #1626 |
| 2009 | 110 | #1511 |
| 2008 | 78 | #1861 |
| 2007 | 91 | #1669 |
| 2006 | 73 | #1856 |
| 2005 | 51 | #2297 |
| 2004 | 59 | #2024 |
| 2003 | 62 | #1885 |
| 2002 | 55 | #1998 |
| 2001 | 51 | #2050 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Josias?
In official American birth records, the name Josias first appeared in 1975 (over 50 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 50 years.
Is Josias a popular boy name?
Josias ranked #950 among boys in 2025 with 247 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1231.
When was the name Josias most popular?
Josias peaked in 2025, when 247 American boys received the name (ranked #950 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Josias?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,287 newborn American boys was named Josias. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.