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Name at a glance

Joshua

Joshua is a Hebrew name commonly understood as the LORD is salvation.

Ranked #66 in US baby names in 2025, peaked at #3 in 2002, declining over the past 5 years.

Joshua is remembered as Moses' successor, a leader associated with courage, obedience, and entering the promised land.

Browse names
OriginHebrew
GenderBoy
FeelCourageous
PronunciationJAH-shoo-uh

Is Joshua biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Joshua is a named person in Scripture, Moses' successor who leads Israel into Canaan in the book of Joshua.

Is Joshua a Christian name?

Used by Christians, not distinctively

Christian tradition Christian cultural usage

Joshua is used in Christian, mainly English-speaking, families for its meaning 'the LORD is salvation' and its link to Jesus, with no saint or liturgical tradition in the record.

Plain answer

Joshua is a biblical name for Moses' successor, used in Christian families largely as a meaningful, familiar Old Testament name rather than through a saint or church tradition.

Confidence Moderate Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Joshua

Joshua comes from a Hebrew form often explained as the LORD is salvation. The name is closely related to the name Jesus through later language development, which gives it additional resonance for Christian readers.

Name story

A leader after Moses

Joshua enters the biblical story as Moses' assistant and later becomes the leader who guides Israel into the land after the wilderness generation.

The name carries a sense of faithful succession. Joshua is not merely bold; he is called to carry forward work begun before him.

Biblical arc

Courage, obedience, and salvation

Joshua's story is strongly associated with courage. The opening of the book of Joshua repeatedly calls him to be strong and courageous because his leadership depends on God's presence.

For Christian families, the meaning the LORD is salvation gives the name a clear theological center. It is both a leader name and a confession of dependence on God.

Sound

How to pronounce Joshua

Phonetic
JAH-shoo-uh
IPA
/ˈdʒɒʃuə/

3 syllables · stress: JAH-shoo-uh · ends in a vowel

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Yehoshua
  • Josue
  • Joshue
  • Yeshua
  • Iesous

Short forms and nicknames

  • Josh
  • Joshie

Languages

Joshua in other languages

Hebrew
יְהוֹשֻׁעַYehoshua
Greek
ἸησοῦςIēsousThe Septuagint and New Testament render Joshua as Iēsous, the same Greek form used for Jesus; the two figures are distinguished by context in early Christian usage.
Latin
Iosue
Spanish
Josué
French
Josué
German
Josua
Italian
Giosuè
Arabic
يُوشَعYushaʿ

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Joshua has long been valued in Christian use because of its meaning and because the name is connected historically with Jesus. It stands at the meeting point of Old Testament leadership and the biblical theme of salvation.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Joshua is Moses' successor, one of the faithful spies, and the leader associated with Israel's entrance into the promised land.

Bearers

Notable people named Joshua

  • biblical

    Joshua son of NunSuccessor to Moses who leads Israel into Canaan in the book of Joshua

  • historical

    Joshua ReynoldsEnglish Royal Academy painter and theorist, 1723 to 1792

  • historical

    Joshua SlocumCanadian-American sailor and first person to single-handedly circumnavigate the world, 1844 to 1909

  • historical

    Joshua L. ChamberlainUnion Army general at Little Round Top at Gettysburg, later governor of Maine, 1828 to 1914

  • modern

    Joshua BellAmerican violinist and music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, born 1967

  • modern

    Joshua WongHong Kong pro-democracy activist, born 1996

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Joshua has been widely used in English-speaking Christian contexts and remains familiar without losing its biblical identity. Josh gives it an easy everyday form, while Joshua keeps the full scriptural weight.

Recent US use

Joshua in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#66
Peak rank
#3 in 2002
Recent trend
declining over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
146 (since 1880)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

For families

For families looking at Joshua

Joshua may appeal to parents who want a strong, hopeful biblical boy name. It suggests courage, responsibility, and salvation without sounding obscure.

Common questions

What does Joshua mean?

Joshua is commonly understood to mean the LORD is salvation.

Is Joshua a biblical name?

Yes. Joshua is Moses' successor and the leader of Israel in the book of Joshua.

Is Joshua related to Jesus?

Yes. The names are historically related through Hebrew, Greek, and later language forms.

Sources

Sources for Joshua

  • A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and BriggsSupports: Hebrew etymology; meaning 'the LORD is salvation'.
  • The Book of Joshua, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: biblical figure Joshua; Moses' successor who leads Israel into Canaan.

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

MosesJoshua succeeds Moses as Israel's leader (Deuteronomy 34); the two names anchor the transition from Exodus wandering to land-of-promise settlement.CalebJoshua's fellow faithful spy at Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 13-14); only Joshua and Caleb of their generation enter the land.SamuelBoth stand at hinges of Israel's history; Joshua at conquest, Samuel at the rise of the monarchy.EmmanuelJoshua is the Hebrew name Yeshua (the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves'); Emmanuel is the Matthew 1:23 Christological title applied to the same figure.