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Joshua Name Popularity

    

Charts | Table | About | By Year

How popular is Joshua?

In 2018 the very popular name Joshua, ranked the 41st Most Popular Boys Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 50 most popular, Joshua has been a top 1000 placer since the Social Security Administration began keeping records in 1880.

Its highest popularity RANKING of #3 was reached for the first time in 2002 and as recently as 2006.

However, the name was bestowed upon the greatest number of babies in 1989 with 44,091 occurrences.

In any year, the least number of babies named Joshua was 17 in 1902.

Decidely upward trends in the number of babies given the name Joshua occurred roughly during the years 1907-1915, 1929-1932, 1944-1949, 1952-1955, 1962-1981, 1982-1985, and 1986-1989, whereas unequivocal downward movement occurred about 1991-1997, and 2000-2017.

For a number of years, the name Joshua has been spiralling downward in popularity. Of late, continuing the trend, the number of parents selecting the name Joshua for their newborn has dropped.

What does the future hold for the popularity of Joshua?

Overall, when compared to its most prominent year, the name's popularity is at a very low point.

The name Joshua is favored by many parents but will probably continue to drift downward in popularity.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

 
Mouse over or Click for Percentages.
   Joshua (Girl)Joshua (Boy)
Year %No. of Babies Given NamePopul. RankNo. of Babies Given NamePopul. Rank
2018 < 5 -- 7,364 41
2017 12 9,001 8,284 39
2016 18 6,747 9,204 35
2015 18 6,830 9,801 33
2014 15 7,843 10,901 25
2013 13 8,780 11,829 21
2012 18 6,980 12,656 17
2011 25 5,438 13,773 14
2010 13 8,941 15,442 11
2009 24 5,787 17,650 6
2008 25 5,642 19,205 4
2007 39 4,012 20,655 4
2006 31 4,624 22,322 3
2005 43 3,475 23,250 3
2004 120 1,623 24,204 3
2003 45 3,260 25,095 3
2002 46 3,115 25,993 3
2001 48 2,982 26,015 4
2000 54 2,722 27,537 4
1999 62 2,383 27,258 4
1998 51 2,673 28,089 4
1997 61 2,244 28,284 5
1996 75 1,923 29,170 5
1995 62 2,167 30,718 5
1994 77 1,846 31,372 4
1993 114 1,421 33,581 4
1992 122 1,363 36,215 4
1991 141 1,222 41,218 4
1990 166 1,068 43,219 4
1989 207 888 44,091 4
1988 298 652 42,651 4
1987 272 679 40,000 4
1986 307 617 37,542 4
1985 276 658 42,195 4
1984 266 655 40,262 4
1983 232 718 36,707 5
1982 241 720 38,028 7
1981 240 703 39,054 6
1980 222 748 36,060 7
1979 211 763 31,137 9
1978 141 980 25,217 12
1977 114 1,122 22,079 14
1976 95 1,198 16,865 18
1975 93 1,234 14,574 26
1974 63 1,538 11,598 29
1973 38 2,103 8,065 42
1972 21 3,112 5,040 59
1971 17 3,711 3,650 79
1970 10 5,202 2,173 150
1969 8 5,666 1,322 197
1968 5 7,495 730 271
1967 < 5 -- 562 314
1966 < 5 -- 486 340
1965 < 5 -- 462 352
1964 < 5 -- 391 406
1963 < 5 -- 372 417
1962 < 5 -- 335 437
1961 < 5 -- 354 422
1960 < 5 -- 314 454
1959 < 5 -- 327 441
1958 < 5 -- 276 477
1957 < 5 -- 273 468
1956 < 5 -- 240 491
1955 < 5 -- 244 471
1954 < 5 -- 191 529
1953 < 5 -- 167 548
1952 < 5 -- 177 527
1951 < 5 -- 165 530
1950 < 5 -- 162 535
1949 < 5 -- 183 491
1948 < 5 -- 130 585
1947 < 5 -- 141 570
1946 < 5 -- 113 608
1945 < 5 -- 97 615
1944 < 5 -- 104 602
1943 < 5 -- 95 659
1942 < 5 -- 112 589
1941 < 5 -- 93 632
1940 < 5 -- 90 628
1939 < 5 -- 101 571
1938 < 5 -- 72 722
1937 < 5 -- 92 607
1936 < 5 -- 100 579
1935 < 5 -- 80 666
1934 < 5 -- 106 575
1933 < 5 -- 102 571
1932 < 5 -- 111 562
1931 < 5 -- 95 608
1930 < 5 -- 90 648
1929 < 5 -- 74 730
1928 < 5 -- 118 564
1927 < 5 -- 117 572
1926 < 5 -- 105 614
1925 < 5 -- 109 606
1924 < 5 -- 114 597
1923 < 5 -- 129 541
1922 < 5 -- 124 572
1921 < 5 -- 125 564
1920 < 5 -- 128 544
1919 < 5 -- 139 506
1918 < 5 -- 118 553
1917 < 5 -- 122 523
1916 < 5 -- 99 585
1915 < 5 -- 136 473
1914 < 5 -- 87 530
1913 < 5 -- 78 492
1912 < 5 -- 60 508
1911 < 5 -- 43 449
1910 < 5 -- 44 401
1909 < 5 -- 28 493
1908 < 5 -- 29 460
1907 < 5 -- 26 460
1906 < 5 -- 27 427
1905 < 5 -- 18 557
1904 < 5 -- 19 502
1903 < 5 -- 21 459
1902 < 5 -- 17 530
1901 < 5 -- 22 400
1900 < 5 -- 36 371
1899 < 5 -- 24 380
1898 < 5 -- 39 299
1897 < 5 -- 29 348
1896 < 5 -- 30 354
1895 < 5 -- 29 343
1894 < 5 -- 24 383
1893 < 5 -- 23 377
1892 < 5 -- 41 285
1891 < 5 -- 24 354
1890 < 5 -- 24 365
1889 < 5 -- 33 300
1888 < 5 -- 50 247
1887 < 5 -- 41 247
1886 < 5 -- 55 229
1885 < 5 -- 43 254
1884 < 5 -- 41 266
1883 < 5 -- 55 202
1882 < 5 -- 50 236
1881 < 5 -- 40 249
1880 < 5 -- 57 212

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.