Skip to content
BabyNames
Boy name#815 of boy names

Josh

Pronounced JH AA1 SH (ARPABET)

  • 1 syllable
  • Peaked 1979
  • 145 years in use
Compare

How popular is Josh?

Josh is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 17,221 children — the 815th most common boys' name on record.

It is falling away, down 52% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1979, when 531 children were given it.

02505007501,00018901920195019802010
1979531

Nicknames

Josh is itself a short form of Joshua.

Characteristics

  • 1 syllable
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
JH AA1 SH
Stress pattern:
1
Syllables:
1

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Josh

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Josh

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Josh?
Josh ranks 815th among boys' names in US records, with 17,221 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 1,048.
Is Josh a unisex name?
No. Josh is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Josh most popular?
1979, when 531 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.