Joshua Name Popularity

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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.

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for Percentages.

		Joshua (Girl)		Joshua (Boy)
Year	%	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. 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.