Joshua is a name of Hebrew origin, derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshua. It means "God is salvation" or "Yahweh saves." The name Joshua is mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible as the successor to Moses who led the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses' death.
The name Joshua was popular among early Christians due to its biblical significance and has remained a common choice for boys throughout history. In recent years, it has been particularly prevalent in English-speaking countries such as the United States and England.
Some notable individuals with the name Joshua include:
* Joshua Norton (1818-1880), a San Francisco socialite who declared himself Emperor of the United States and protector of Mexico.
* Joshua Slocum (1844-1909), a Canadian-born American sailor who was the first person to sail alone around the world.
* Joshua Bell (born 1967), an American violinist known for his performances and recordings.
In literature, Joshua is also the name of characters in works such as "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter and "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving.
The name Joshua reached its peak popularity between the late 1970s and early 1980s, with a significant increase in births each year from 1977 to 1984, reaching a high of 307 births in 1986. After this period, the number of babies named Joshua began to decline steadily, falling below 100 births per year after 2005, and dropping as low as single digits in recent years, with only 5 births recorded in 2023. Overall, there were a total of 4944 births registered with the name Joshua between 1968 and 2023.