Josiah
Every Josiah since 1880 — 149,420 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Josiah
Josiah is a top-100 name for boys in the United States, ranked #54 in 2025 with 5,509 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 149,420 American babies have been named Josiah. Its peak came in 2017, when 7,092 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Josiah stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Josiah year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | #8,083 | 5,509 | #54 |
| 2024 | 9 | #10,650 | 5,486 | #53 |
| 2023 | 5 | #16,273 | 5,445 | #53 |
| 2022 | 10 | #10,025 | 5,838 | #51 |
| 2021 | 11 | #9,230 | 6,157 | #49 |
| 2020 | 17 | #6,763 | 6,164 | #49 |
| 2019 | 21 | #5,881 | 6,847 | #45 |
| 2018 | 17 | #6,933 | 6,684 | #52 |
| 2017 | 13 | #8,522 | 7,079 | #51 |
| 2016 | 14 | #8,183 | 7,025 | #55 |
| 2015 | 15 | #7,785 | 6,677 | #57 |
| 2014 | 10 | #10,513 | 6,482 | #64 |
| 2013 | 15 | #7,954 | 6,316 | #69 |
| 2012 | 18 | #6,993 | 5,538 | #79 |
| 2011 | 17 | #7,255 | 5,274 | #80 |
| 2010 | 10 | #10,788 | 5,210 | #77 |
| 2009 | 20 | #6,676 | 5,020 | #86 |
| 2008 | 18 | #7,211 | 4,785 | #95 |
| 2007 | 17 | #7,559 | 4,225 | #105 |
| 2006 | 21 | #6,236 | 3,649 | #117 |
| 2005 | 11 | #9,767 | 3,260 | #125 |
| 2004 | 17 | #6,926 | 2,797 | #142 |
| 2003 | 10 | #10,002 | 2,684 | #152 |
| 2002 | 15 | #7,226 | 2,570 | #154 |
| 2001 | 12 | #8,451 | 2,239 | #169 |
| 2000 | 12 | #8,263 | 2,029 | #180 |
| 1995 | 9 | #9,092 | 1,018 | #273 |
| 1990 | — | — | 677 | #355 |
| 1985 | 6 | #9,849 | 497 | #371 |
| 1980 | — | — | 256 | #537 |
| 1975 | — | — | 86 | #893 |
| 1970 | — | — | 29 | #1,595 |
| 1965 | — | — | 13 | #2,315 |
| 1960 | — | — | 11 | #2,609 |
| 1955 | — | — | 17 | #1,933 |
| 1950 | — | — | 20 | #1,680 |
| 1945 | — | — | 14 | #1,892 |
| 1940 | — | — | 21 | #1,500 |
| 1935 | — | — | 19 | #1,626 |
| 1930 | — | — | 24 | #1,516 |
| 1925 | — | — | 30 | #1,347 |
| 1920 | — | — | 29 | #1,365 |
| 1915 | — | — | 37 | #1,060 |
| 1910 | — | — | 9 | #1,165 |
| 1905 | — | — | 5 | #1,330 |
| 1900 | — | — | 7 | #1,110 |
| 1895 | — | — | 7 | #936 |
| 1890 | — | — | 11 | #620 |
| 1885 | — | — | 17 | #453 |
| 1880 | — | — | 26 | #338 |
Famous people named Josiah
- Josiah Politician · -648–-609
- Josiah Willard Gibbs Physicist · 1839–1903
- Josiah Warren Inventor · 1798–1874
- Josiah Wedgwood Designer · 1730–1795
- Josiah Royce Philosopher · 1855–1916
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Josiah in 2025?
Josiah ranked #54 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 5,509 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Josiah?
149,420 babies have been named Josiah in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Josiah most popular?
Josiah peaked in 2017, when 7,092 newborns received the name.
Is Josiah a boy or girl name?
Josiah is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Josiah rising or falling?
Josiah has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Josiah?
Well-known people named Josiah include Josiah (politician), Josiah Willard Gibbs (physicist), Josiah Warren (inventor).