Joshua is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It means "God is salvation" or "God saves". In the Bible, Joshua was a major prophet and the successor to Moses as leader of the Israelites. He led them into the Promised Land after they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, similar to how Moses parted the Red Sea. The name Joshua has been popular among Christians since biblical times but has also gained popularity in recent years among people of various faiths. It is often shortened to Josh or Joshy and can be paired with a variety of middle names and surnames. Despite its biblical roots, Joshua remains a timeless and universal name choice for boys today.
"The name Josua experienced a significant rise in popularity between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, with peaks of 33 births in 1983 and 48 births in 1985. However, it has since declined, with fewer than 20 births per year since 2006, and consistently five births per year from 2013 onwards."