Joshua is a distinctive girls' name in United States, ranking #4013 in 2007 with 39 recorded births. This places Joshua in the top 19% of ranked US girls' names for the year. Its actual usage is classified as Rare. The name reached its all-time peak in 2004 with 120 births ranking #1623. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 48.0%. In 2007, approximately 1 in every 49,294 girls born was named Joshua. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Joshua is a Hebrew biblical name meaning "Yahweh is salvation". It combines strong scriptural heritage with a familiar modern sound, which explains its long popularity.
The name is central in the Bible through Joshua, the successor to Moses, and later remained widely used in Christian naming traditions. It became a major modern favourite without losing its biblical identity.