Joshua Bell
Grammy-winning American violinist
Boy Old Testament Rare
Joshua
a savior; a deliverer
יְהוֹשׁוּעַ ye.ho.shu.a
Joshua (Hebrew: יְהוֹשׁוּעַ, ye.ho.shu.a) means “a savior; a deliverer”, by traditional interpretation. It belongs to one man who carries two names in the text — he is also called Hoshea. In 2025 it was given to 4,773 children in the United States, ranking 66. Use is falling away. Around 1,253,882 Americans have been given it since 1880. Appears with Abiram in 1 Kings 16.
Merged person graphTIPNR + BibleData
Which Joshua?
Five men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
-
Joshua
son of Nun
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Joshua
son of Jehozadak
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Joshua
-
Joshua
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Joshua
father of Er
TIPNR + BibleDataSSA · public domain
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
Concordance Depth Index
129.5 · rank 17
US usage today
rank 66 · 4,773 births in 2025
TIPNR + BibleDataSTEPBible · CC BY
At a glance
- Verses
- 217 across 16 books
- Bearers
- 5 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Both
- Era
- Exodus
Merged person graph217 verse pairs
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Exodus 17:9 |
| Last appears | Hebrews 4:8 |
| Two names, one person | Hoshea/Joshua |
| Cross-references | 3,809 linked passages |
SSA · public domaindatos_gob_aribge_censoine_es_edad_mediaIRN PT
The same name elsewhere
| Country | Form | Standing | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Joshua | rank 66 · 4,773 in 2025 | Births in year |
| Argentina | JOSUE | 182 registrations | Births in year |
| Brazil | JOSUE | 91,762 bearers · born 1930–2010 | Living residents |
| Spain | JOSUE | 8,340 bearers · mean age 30.5 | Living residents |
| Portugal | Josué | permitted | IRN approved list |
Two different questions are shown here. Rows marked births in year count children registered during a period; rows marked living residents count people of every age alive at a census. They answer different questions and are never added together.
SSA · public domainBirths in year
Using it today
Very unlikely to share a classroom with another.
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 4,773 | Falling |
| All-time total | 1,253,882 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 44,308 in 1989 | Its highest year on record |
| Strongest state | CA | Highest share relative to births |
Computed · A2/A3Rationale generated
Names connected to this one
- Hoshea renaming pair Called Hoshea before Numbers 13:16 — one person, two names in the text.
- Nun co-occurrence Appears with Nun in Numbers 14.
- Jehozadak co-occurrence Appears with Jehozadak in Haggai 1.
- Jeshua co-occurrence Appears with Jeshua in Nehemiah 12.
- Shealtiel co-occurrence Appears with Shealtiel in Haggai 1.
- Jephunneh co-occurrence Appears with Jephunneh in Numbers 14.
- Zerubbabel co-occurrence Appears with Zerubbabel in Haggai 1.
- Jozadak co-occurrence Appears with Jozadak in Ezra 3.
Origin & meaning
Strong's number
H3091H
Hebrew
יְהוֹשׁוּעַ
Transliteration
ye.ho.shu.a
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.6.14
§ Joshua or Jehoshua = "Jehovah is salvation"
1) son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan
2) a resident of Beth-shemesh on whose land the Ark of the Covenant came to a stop after the Philistines returned it
3) son of Jehozadak and high priest after the restoration
4) governor of Jerusalem under king Josiah who gave his name to a gate of the city of Jerusalem
The ark of the covenant was placed on a rock in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
The biblical story
Joshua is mentioned in 1Sa.6.14 and 1Sa.6.18 as a resident of Beth-shemesh, a town in Judah. The context of the passage is the return of the ark of the covenant to Israel after it had been captured by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4-6). The Philistines, afflicted by plagues because of the ark's presence, sent it back to Israel on a cart pulled by two cows (1Sa.6.7-12).
The cart carrying the ark came to the field of Joshua in Beth-shemesh, where the people were reaping their wheat harvest (1Sa.6.13). The cows pulling the cart stopped beside a large rock in Joshua's field (1Sa.6.14). The people of Beth-shemesh then split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord (1Sa.6.14).
The large rock in Joshua's field, where the ark was placed, is mentioned again in 1Sa.6.18 as a marker or boundary stone.
Key verses
Joshua appears in 2 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth–shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord.
1 Samuel 6:14 -
And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth–shemite.
1 Samuel 6:18
Show all 2 references
1 Samuel (2)
- 1 Samuel 6:14
- 1 Samuel 6:18
Name variants & nicknames
- Josh — nickname
- Josué — Spanish & Portuguese
- Yehoshua — Hebrew form
Notable people with this name
Anthony Joshua
British heavyweight boxing world champion