NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Yosias

A Hebrew given name meaning "given by Yahweh".

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.

Yosias is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Yosias popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3254, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 6 births.

This profile covers 16 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2019 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 16 living people in the UK are called Yosias. 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

  • Yosias ranked #3254 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2020, when 6 boys were registered as Yosias.
  • About 16 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yosias as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3254

2024

Births in 2024

6

Latest year

Peak year

2020

6 births

Estimated living

16

2026

Meaning

What does Yosias mean?

The name Yosias has its origins in the ancient Hebrew language. It is a variant spelling of the name Josiah, which was derived from the Hebrew words "Yahweh" and "yoshia," meaning "God is salvation" or "God will support." This name was popular in Biblical times and has a rich historical significance.

During the 7th century BCE, Josiah was the name of a prominent king of Judah. He is mentioned in the Old Testament book of Kings, where he is described as a righteous ruler who initiated religious reforms and restored the worship of God in Jerusalem. Josiah's reign is considered a pivotal period in the history of ancient Israel.

The earliest recorded examples of the name Yosias can be found in ancient Greek texts, where it was used as a transliteration of the Hebrew name Josiah. One notable figure from this era was Yosias, a Jewish high priest who lived in the 2nd century BCE. He is mentioned in the Book of Sirach, an ancient Jewish text that is part of the Apocrypha.

In the Christian tradition, Yosias is sometimes used as a variant spelling of the name Joseph. This connection is made because the name Joseph is derived from the same Hebrew root as Josiah, meaning "he will add." One of the most famous figures in Christianity, Joseph of Nazareth, was the earthly father of Jesus Christ.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Yosias. For example, Yosias Lorki (1513-1573) was a prominent Greek scholar and theologian during the Renaissance period. He was known for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature and his translations of classical works.

Another individual was Yosias Sickler (1665-1738), a German Lutheran theologian and church historian who wrote extensively on the history of the Reformation and the Protestant faith.

In the 18th century, Yosias Cephalion (1733-1815) was a Greek scholar and educator who played a significant role in the Greek Enlightenment movement. He established several schools and worked to promote education and learning in Greece.

Yosias Mulhallen (1796-1873) was an Irish-American Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools and colleges in the United States, including St. John's College in Brooklyn, New York.

Finally, Yosias Gager (1835-1909) was a German-American Lutheran minister and author who wrote extensively on religious topics and served as a pastor in various congregations in the United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Yosias over time

The chart below shows babies named Yosias registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2019 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 Yosias, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Yosias
02356201920212024

Decades

Yosias by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yosias 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 #3107 12 2
2010s #3937 4 1

Related

Names similar to Yosias

FAQ

Yosias: questions and answers

How popular is the name Yosias in the UK right now?

In 2024, Yosias was ranked #3254 for boys in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.

When was Yosias most popular?

The peak year on record was 2020, with 6 babies registered as Yosias in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Yosias?

A Hebrew given name meaning "given by Yahweh".

How many people are called Yosias in the UK?

A total of 16 babies have been registered as Yosias across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.