UK boy's name
Josh
A masculine given name derived from Hebrew meaning "God is salvation".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Josh is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Josh popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #857, with 37 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 657 births.
This profile covers 9,152 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 6% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 14,117 living people in the UK are called Josh. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Josh ranked #857 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 37 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 657 boys were registered as Josh.
- • Josh ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #177 in 2024.
- • About 14,117 living people in the UK are estimated to have Josh as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#857
2024
Births in 2024
37
Latest year
Peak year
2002
657 births
Estimated living
14,117
2026
Meaning
What does Josh mean?
The name Josh is an English diminutive derived from the Hebrew name Joshua. Joshua comes from the Hebrew "Yehoshua" or "Yeshua" meaning "Yahweh is salvation." It is a name with biblical origins and deep historical roots.
The name Joshua first appears in the Old Testament of the Bible. He was a former aide to Moses who succeeded him as the leader of the Israelites and led them into the Promised Land of Canaan. Joshua is credited with conquering the land and dividing it among the twelve tribes of Israel.
Early records of the name Josh as a shortened form of Joshua date back to the 17th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name was Josh Downing, an English tailor born in 1667. Another early example is Josh Hudleston, an English author born in 1700.
Over the centuries, there have been several notable individuals with the first name Josh. Josh Billings, born Henry Wheeler Shaw in 1818, was an American humorist and lecturer known for his witty sayings. Josh White, born in 1914 and died in 1969, was an influential American singer, guitarist, and civil rights activist.
In the realm of sports, Josh Gibson, born in 1911 and died in 1947, was a legendary baseball catcher in the Negro Leagues. Josh Cribbs, born in 1983, is a former American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) as a wide receiver and return specialist.
More recently, Josh Groban, born in 1981, is a renowned American singer, songwriter, and actor known for his baritone voice and classical crossover music. These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Josh.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Josh over time
The chart below shows babies named Josh registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Josh, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 37 births in 2024, compared with 657 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Josh by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Josh was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #697 | 260 | 5 |
| 2010s | #332 | 1,635 | 10 |
| 2000s | #114 | 4,930 | 10 |
| 1990s | #93 | 2,327 | 4 |
Geography
Where Josh is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Josh. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Josh ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #177 in 2024.
Across the UK
Josh in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#218 in 2024
40 years of NRS records, 4,156 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#177 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 938 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Josh
-
Josh de Caires
cricketer
English cricketer
2002-
-
Josh Wilson-Esbrand
association football player
English association football player
2002-
-
Josh Woods
association football player
English footballer
2000-
-
Josh Woods
rugby league player
English rugby league footballer
1997-
-
Josh Yorwerth
association football player
Welsh association football player
1995-
-
Josh Wood
rugby league player
English rugby league footballer
1995-
-
Josh Webb
association football player
association football player
1995-
-
Josh Windass
association football player
English association football player (born 1994)
1994-
Related
Names similar to Josh
- Jack 188,738
- Joshua 145,192
- James 141,878
- Joseph 102,259
- Jacob 93,754
- Jake 66,896
- Jamie 41,243
- Jordan 36,750
- Jayden 28,921
- Jude 24,156
- John 22,240
- Joe 19,164
FAQ
Josh: questions and answers
How popular is the name Josh in the UK right now?
In 2024, Josh was ranked #857 for boys in England and Wales, with 37 births registered.
When was Josh most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 657 babies registered as Josh in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Josh?
A masculine given name derived from Hebrew meaning "God is salvation".
How many people are called Josh in the UK?
A total of 9,152 babies have been registered as Josh across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4,156 more in Scotland and 938 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Josh most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Josh ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #177 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.