Joshua is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God is salvation" or "Yahweh is salvation." It is derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshua, which is composed of the elements Yah (meaning "God") and yoshua (meaning "salvation"). In the Old Testament of the Bible, Joshua is the successor to Moses as the leader of the Israelites, leading them into the Promised Land after their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. The name has been popular throughout history, with notable figures such as Joshua ben Joseph, also known as Jesus Christ, and Joshua Norton, a famous figure in San Francisco's counterculture movement during the late 19th century. Today, Joshua remains a widely used name around the world, particularly in English-speaking countries.
Joshua is a unique and uncommon name in the United States, with only 33 babies sharing this name over an span of 17 years (from 1981 to 1990 inclusive). The popularity of Joshua peaked twice during this period: once in 1984 and again in 1989, both years seeing six births. However, it seems that the name's popularity was quite consistent throughout these years, as there were five births each in 1981, 1985, and 1990. Notably, there was another peak in 1993 with six births, suggesting a resurgence of interest in this distinctive name after a brief decline during the early to mid-1990s. Despite these fluctuations, Joshua remains an uncommon choice compared to other popular names from that era.