Given name & surname
Oshea
“a kind spirit”
Oshea is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “a kind spirit.”
Original Hebrewהושע
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “a kind spirit.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
From the Hebrew verb yasha' (ישע), “to save.”
From biblical name research
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1979. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Oshea appears in Numbers 13:8.
From biblical name research
Oshea through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,288
- 1,227 boys · 61 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 66 babies
- 2025
- 54
- #2,507 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −16%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 54 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,507 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 64 in 2016. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 852 as a first name in 2020; 10,404 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Oshea’s family of names
Oshea has a related form in Oshay. Oshea has a related form in Oshae. Oshea has a related form in Oshai.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 16
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
Similar names
If you love Oshea, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Oseias
Oseias is a masculine given name from Hebrew. It is used in Portuguese.
>99% boys
Abdias
“servant of God”
>99% boys
Ozer
“assistant, helper”
>99% boys
Yousaf
Yousaf is a surname from Urdu, ultimately from Hebrew.
>99% boys
Younus
Younus is a surname from Arabic, ultimately from Hebrew.
>99% boys
Refael
Refael is a masculine given name from Hebrew. It is used in Asturian.
>99% boys
Shimshon
“sun”
>99% boys
Eliam
“the God of my nation”
>99% boys