Joshua is a Biblical given name derived from the Hebrew Yehoshua (יהושע). The name was a common alternative form of the name יֵשׁוּעַ – yēšūă which corresponds to the Greek spelling Ἰησοῦς (Iesous), from which, through the Latin Iesus, comes the English spelling Jesus.
As a result of the origin of the name, a majority of people before the 17th century who have this name are Jewish. A variant, truncated form of the name, Josh, gained popularity in the United States in the 1970s.
Information from the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics from 2003 to 2007 shows "Joshua" among the top-five given names for newborn males. In Scotland, the popularity of "Joshua" has been substantially lower than in the rest of the United Kingdom, appearing at rank 35 in 2000 and rising to rank 22 in 2006.
Joshua, leader of the Israelites after the death of MosesJoshua the High Priest, High Priest ca. 515-490 BCE after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian CaptivityOrdered chronologicallyJoshua ben Perachiah (given name יהושע = Yehoshua), Nasi (prince) of the Sanhedrin in the latter half of the 2nd century BCEJoshua ben Hananiah (given name יהושע = Yehoshua) (died 131), a tanna (sage)Joshua ben Levi, Jewish amora (scholar) in the first half of the third centuryJoshua the Stylite, author of a chronicle of the war between the Later Roman Empire and the Persians between 502 and 506Joshua Lorki (fl. c. 1400), Spanish-Jewish physicianJoshua Allen, 5th Viscount Allen (1728–1816), Irish noblemanJoshua Barnes (1654–1712), English scholarJoshua Boaz ben Simon Baruch (died 1557), Talmudist in Spain and later ItalyJoshua Boyle, Irish Member of Parliament in 1641 and 1661Joshua dei Cantori, Italian converted Jew who attacked the Talmud in 1559Joshua Caslari (fl. 1540–1558), French Jewish liturgical poetJoshua Chamberlain (1828–1914), American brevet major general and professor, awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of GettysburgJoshua Cooper (died 1757) (c. 1696–1757), Irish landowner and Member of ParliamentJoshua Cooper (1732–1800), Irish landowner and Member of ParliamentJoshua Edward Cooper (c. 1761–1837), Irish landowner and Member of ParliamentJoshua Gwillen Doan (1811–1839), farmer and tanner who participated in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837Joshua Falk (1555–1614), Polish Halakhist and TalmudistJoshua Hughes (1807–1889), Welsh Anglican bishopJoshua Lewinsohn (1833-?), Lithuanian Jewish teacher and writerJoshua A. Lowell (1801–1874), American politicianJoshua Millner (1849–1931), Irish Olympic shooterJoshua Abraham Norton (c. 1814–1880), "Emperor Norton", English-born American immigrant who proclaimed himself Emperor of the United StatesJoshua Reynolds (1723–1792), English painter, particularly of portraitsJoshua Slocum (1844–1909), first man to sail solo around the worldJoshua Zeitlin (1742–1822), rabbinical scholar and philanthropist born in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (now Belarus)Joshua Heschel Zoref (1633-1700), ascetic and an important figure in the Lithuanian Sabbatean movement20th and 21st centuries
Joshua Ang (born 1989), Singaporean film actorJosh Barnett (born 1977), American mixed martial artist and professional wrestlerJoshua Bartholomew (born 1984), Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and producerJosh Beckett (born 1980), American former Major League Baseball pitcherJoshua Bell (born 1967), American violinist and conductorJoshua Blahyi, better known by his nom de guerre General Butt Naked (born 1971), Liberian former warlordJoshua Ilika Brenner (born 1976), Mexican swimmerJoshua Cardwell (1910–1982), politician in Northern IrelandJoshua Chelanga (born 1973), Kenyan long-distance runnerJoshua Clottey (born 1977), Ghanaian professional boxer and former IBF welterweight championJosh Cooper (cryptographer) (1901–1981), British cryptographerJosh Cooper (defensive end) (born 1980), American football player, formerly in the National Football LeagueJosh Culbreath (born 1932), American retired hurdlerJoshua Dariye (born 1957), Nigerian politicianRalph Joshua Dionisio (born 1994), Filipino actorJosh Duggar (born 1988), Disgraced American reality TV participant and political activistJosh Duhamel (born 1972), American actor and former modelJosh Dun (born 1988), American drummer, currently in the band Twenty One PilotsJoshua Eagle (born 1973), Australian tennis coach and former playerJoshua Fernandez (born 1974), Malaysian film directorJoshua Fishman (born 1926), American linguistJosh Gibson (1911–1947), American Negro league baseball catcherJoshua Oupa Gqozo (born 1952), former military ruler of the former homeland of Ciskei in South AfricaJosh Groban (born 1981), American singer, songwriter, actor and record producerJosh Hamilton (born 1981), American Major League baseball playerJosh Hartnett (born 1978), American actor and movie producerJosh Homme (born 1973), American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and actorJosh Howard (born 1980), American basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball AssociationJosh Hutcherson (born 1992), American actorJosh Jasper (born 1987), All-American college football placekickerJoshua Kennedy (born 1982), Australian former soccer playerJoshua Andrew Koenig (1968–2010), American actor and human rights activistJosh Kronfeld (born 1971), New Zealand former rugby union flankerJoshua Livestro (born 1970), Dutch columnist and political writerJosh Mahoney (born 1977), former Australian rules footballerJosh McDaniels (born 1976), American National Football League offensive coordinator and former head coachJosh Morris, several individualsJosh Mostel (born 1946), American actorJoshua Neustein (born 1940), Polish-born American visual artistJoshua Owusu (born 1948), Ghanaian retired triple jumper and long jumperJosh Peck (born 1986), American actorJoshua Perper (born 1932), Romanian-born American forensic pathologist and toxicologistJoshua Radin (born 1974), American singer-songwriterJosh Radnor (born 1974), American actor, director, producer and screenwriterJosh Satin (born 1984), American former Major League Baseball playerJosh Server (born 1979), American actor and comedianJoshua Simon (fl. 21st century), Israeli art curator, writer and filmmakerJoshua Smith (disambiguation)Josh Tordjman (born 1985), Canadian hockey goaltenderJosh Wagenaar (born 1985), Canadian former footballerJoshua Wheeler (born 1975), American Delta Force Operator, first American service member killed in action while fighting ISISJosh Whitesell (born 1982), American former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball playerJosh Widdicombe, English stand-up comedian and presenterJosh Wilcox (born 1974), American former National Football League playerJosh Zeid (born 1987), American baseball pitcher, former in Major League BaseballJosh Bauer, a minor character in season 6 of the American television series 24Joshua Christopher, in the Japanese anime/manga Chrono CrusadeJoshua Clay (debut 1977), DC Comics superhero TempestJoshua Deets (debut 1985), a recurring character in the Lonesome Dove American novel seriesthe title character of Joshua Jones (1991–1992), a Welsh children's television seriesJosh Lyman (1999–2006), in the American television series The West WingJosh Nichols (2004–2007), in the American television series Drake & JoshJoshua, a computer/artificial intelligence in the 1983 movie WarGames
