Josh

Updated: July 13, 2022 by MomsWhoThink Staff

Josh is typically thought of as a nickname for Joshua, but for years, it's been a given name in its own right. It's short and simple, which also makes for a great middle name. If you do choose it for a given name, make sure you pair it with a longer middle name to give it some strength. Josh has biblical origins and is a pretty solid, classic name.

Meaning of the name Josh:

Hebrew: God is salvation

Origin of the name Josh:

Josh is a shortened form of Joshua, which is derived from the Hebrew “Yehoshu'a.” It means “Yahweh is salvation” or “God is salvation.” Joshua is often thought of as a biblical name.

Symbolism of the name Josh:

Any symbolism associated with the baby name Josh will likely appeal to parents of faith, particularly the Christian faith. The book of Joshua is actually the sixth book of the Old Testament.

Style of the name Josh:

Classic

Gender of the name Josh:

Josh is a boy's name.

Pronunciation of the name Josh:

JOSH

Number of syllables in the name Josh:

One

Emotion evoked from the name Josh:

The baby name Josh evokes images of someone who is calm and even and almost always good-natured.

Alternative spellings for the name Josh:

N/A

Nicknames for the name Josh:

Joshie
Joshy
Jay

Popularity of the name Josh:

According to the Social Security Administration, Josh has been a top 1,000 baby name for boys on and off for well over a century. It was on the list from 1900 up until around 1918, made a comeback in 1936, and then disappeared again until the 1950s, where it stayed until around 2009. It was most popular in 1979 when it ranked at number 340.