Josh
Meaning: “to save”
About the name Josh
Josh is a boy name with Hebrew roots, meaning “to save”. It is related to Joshua, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a unique, short & sweet feel. In 2025, Josh ranked #1703 for boys in the US, with 96 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1979. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Josh were boys.
Etymology
A diminutive of Joshua, which comes from Hebrew, meaning “to save”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Josh”, “Joshua”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #1703
- In 2015
- #1401
- Babies in 2025
- 96
Popularity of Josh, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Josh
Josh is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Josh
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.