Given name
Josua
“God is my salvation”·“God . is salvation”·“God is salvation”
In German use, Josua is a variant of Jesus. One Hebrew interpretation is “God is my salvation.” Josua is a variant of Joshua. Interpretations include “God . is salvation” (Hebrew) and “God is salvation” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Josua is a variant of Jesus. One Hebrew interpretation is “God is my salvation.” Josua is a variant of Joshua. Interpretations include “God . is salvation” (Hebrew) and “God is salvation” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In German use, Josua is a variant of Jesus. An origin associated with Jesus is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1971. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Josua is a variant of Joshua. The history of Joshua gives this family its wider story. In biblical tradition, Joshua is the name of the Israelite leader.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Josua through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 773
- 773 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1987
- 50 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2022. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 50 in 1987. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,380 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Josua’s family of names
Josua has a related form in Joshua. In German usage, Josua has a conventional equivalent in the English form Joshua. In German usage, Josua has a related form in Joshua.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Josua has relatives in 64 languages.
48 related names in 64 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 43
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Joshequivalent
- YushaIndonesian
- JoshuahEnglish
- JashuaEnglish
- JoshuwaEnglish
- JoshuaaEnglish
- JoshauaEnglish
- JohusaEnglish
Show 35 moreShow fewer
- JohsuaEnglish
- JozuePolish, Czech
- JosuéFrench, Spanish
- JozuaWest Frisian, zea
- ІсусBelarusian
- JószuaHungarian
- ИисусRussian
- یوشعPersian
- JosvaNorwegian, Greenlandic
- GesueleNeapolitan
- HōhuaMāori
- ĠożwèMaltese
- JozuėLithuanian
- IosueLatin, io
- JošuaCroatian
- GhjosuèCorsican
- JosuèCatalan
- יהושעYiddish, Hebrew
- ヨシュア記Japanese
- GiosuèItalian
- JósúaIcelandic
- IósuaIrish
- ΙησούςGreek
- იესოGeorgian
- XosuéGalician, Asturian
- JoosuaFinnish
- Joosua raamatEstonian
- 约书亚记cdo
- 約書亞記cdo
- 約書亞Chinese
- YehoshouaBreton
- YuşəAzerbaijani
- ՅեսուArmenian
- يوشعArabic
- ἸησοῦςAncient Greek
People named Josua
- Tom NaudéSouth African politician (1889-1969)
- Josua TuisovaFijian rugby union playerborn 1994
- Josua MejíasVenezuelan association football playerborn 1997
- Maarten MaartensDutch writer, writing in English (1858-1915)
- Josua MaalerSwiss pastor and lexicographer (1529-1599)
- Josua ZweifelSwiss explorer and discoverer (1854-1895)
- Josua BengtsonSwedish actor (1882–1958)
- Josua HarrschGerman missionary1669–1719
- Josua StegmannGerman theologian and hymn writer1588–1632
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Josua, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jeconiah
“Yah establishes” · “the Lord will establish”
>99% boys
Jedadiah
“one who is loved by God”
>99% boys
Daneal
“God is my judge” · “the champion”
81% boys · 19% girls
Adamo
“man” · “of the earth”
>99% boys
Jerem
“one who is exalted by the Lord”
>99% boys
Neco
“striker” · “smiter”
>99% boys
Jedediah
“one who is loved by God”
>99% boys
Rosh
“head” · “chief”
>99% boys