Given name
Yoshua
“God is salvation”
Yoshua is a variant of Yushua. In Arabic use, Yushua carries the interpretation “God is salvation.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Yoshua is a variant of Yushua. In Arabic use, Yushua carries the interpretation “God is salvation.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Yoshua connects to the Joshua name family through Yushua. An origin associated with Joshua is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1984. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Yoshua connects to the Joshua name family through Yushua. 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
Yoshua through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 603
- 603 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 37 babies
- 2025
- 37
- #3,236 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +75%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 37 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,236 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 75.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 466 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.
Yoshua’s family of names
In German usage, Yoshua has a related form in Joshua. In German usage, Yoshua has a related form in Josua. In Swahili usage, Yoshua has a conventional equivalent in the German form Josua.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
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 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Yoshua
- Yoshua BengioCanadian computer scientist (born 1964)
- Yoshi SudarsoIndonesian actorborn 1989
- Yoshua OkónMexican artist (born 1970)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Yoshua, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Eithan
“firmness” · “long-lived”
>99% boys
Gianni
“God is gracious”
80% boys · 20% girls
Tahan
“encampment”
>99% boys
Abiezer
“my father is help” · “father of help”
>99% boys
Nethaniah
“Yah has given”
>99% boys
Agasthya
>99% boys
Ares
“Ares' dome” · “the containment of competition”
96% boys · 4% girls
Elyan
“a spirited man” · “The Lord answers our prayers”
96% boys · 4% girls