Josiah
Josiah was the 54th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5,509 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 45th; the most babies were born in 2017 (7,079). Over the last ten years it has moved up 3 places. More babies were named Josiah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning healed or supported by God · Hebrew
Say it joh-ZY-uh /dʒoʊˈzaɪə/
- Rank in 2025
- #54 boys, down 5 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 5,509boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20177,079 babies
- Total since 1880
- 149,420babies recorded
What does the name Josiah mean?
Josiah is the English form of the Hebrew name Yoshiyyahu, borne by a king of Judah in the 7th century BC who is remembered in the Bible for religious reforms. The ending -yahu refers to the God of Israel; the first part is usually explained as 'heal' or 'support', so DMNES glosses the name 'healed, supported by Yahweh'. Medieval Bibles spelled it Josias. DMNES notes that the name came into Christian use among 16th-century Protestants, and it records Josias in English documents from 1568 on.
יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ (Biblical Hebrew, “Yoshiyyahu, king of Judah”)
How sure is this? Probable. The divine element is clear; the meaning of the first element ('heal' or 'support') is less certain.
Related names: Josias, Joziah, Yoshiyahu.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Josiah', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, II Kings 22:1, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Josiah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Josiah popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 462 since 1981, 13 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #54 | 5,509 |
| 2020 | #49 | 6,164 |
| 2010 | #77 | 5,210 |
| 2000 | #180 | 2,029 |
| 1990 | #355 | 677 |
| 1980 | #537 | 256 |
| 1970 | #1,595 | 29 |
| 1960 | #2,609 | 11 |
| 1950 | #1,680 | 20 |
| 1940 | #1,500 | 21 |
| 1930 | #1,516 | 24 |
| 1920 | #1,365 | 29 |
| 1910 | #1,165 | 9 |
| 1900 | #1,110 | 7 |
| 1890 | #620 | 11 |
| 1880 | #338 | 26 |
How popular is Josiah, counting every spelling?
Josiah is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #60 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #54 for Josiah on its own. Together these spellings went to 5,744 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josiah | 5,509 | #54 | 28,435 |
| Joziah | 221 | #1,015 | 1,396 |
| Jossiah | 14 | #6,268 | 71 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Josiah?
5,509 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Josiah (1.53 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Josiah born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 35. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Josiah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Josiah?
About 145,700 people born in the US named Josiah are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 7 and 19. That makes Josiah a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Josiah by state
How common Josiah was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (2.2×), New Mexico (2.2×), Rhode Island (2.0×), Mississippi (1.8×), District of Columbia (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Vermont, New Hampshire, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Josiah: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Josiah, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Josiah · Sibling names for Josiah
Questions about the name Josiah
What does Josiah mean?
Josiah means “healed or supported by God” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Josiah?
Josiah was the 54th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5,509 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 45th; the most babies were born in 2017 (7,079). Over the last ten years it has moved up 3 places. More babies were named Josiah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Josiah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Josiah in the US.
Where is Josiah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Josiah was most common in Delaware (7.25 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and Rhode Island.