Joshua is a given name derived from the Hebrew יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Modern: Yəhōšūaʿ, Tiberian: Yŏhōšūaʿ),[5] prominently belonging to Joshua, an early Hebrew leader of the Exodus period who has a major role in several books of the Bible. The name was a common alternative form of the name יֵשׁוּעַ (Yēšūaʿ) which corresponds to the Greek spelling Ἰησοῦς (Iesous), from which, through the Latin Iesus, comes the English spelling Jesus.[6][7] As a result of the origin of the name, a majority of people before the 17th century who have this name were Jewish. A variant, truncated form of the name, Josh, gained popularity in the United States in the 1920s.
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Pronunciation | /ˈdʒɒʃuə/[1] |
---|---|
Gender | Male |
Origin | |
Word/name | Hebrew (יהושע Yehoshua) |
Meaning | God is deliverance |
Region of origin | Middle East |
Other names | |
Related names | Jesus, Josue, Josh, Jason, Yeshua, Joseph |
[2][3][4] |
Popularity
editThe examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (December 2008) |
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.[8] 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.[9][10]
Joshua in other languages
edit- Arabic: يوشع بن نون
- Albanian: Joshua
- Amharic: ዮሱሱ (Yosusu)
- Armenian: oshոշուա (Oshoshua)
- Azerbaijani: Joşua
- Bengali: জশুয়া (Jaśuẏā)
- Bulgarian: Джошуа (Dzhoshua)
- Burmese: ယောရှု (Yawshu)
- Chinese Simplified: 约书亚记 (Yuēshūyàjì)
- Chinese Traditional: 約書亞記 (Yuēshūyàjì)
- Croatian: Joshua
- Czech: Joshua
- Danish: Joshua
- Dutch: Joshua
- English: Joshua
- Esperanto: Joshua
- Estonian: Joshua
- Filipino: Joshua
- Finnish: Joshua
- French: Joshua
- German: Joshua
- Greek: Ιησούς του Ναυή (Iisoús tou naví)
- Gujarati: જોશુઆ (Jōśuā)
- Hebrew: יהושע בן נון
- Hindi: यहोशू (Yahoshoo)
- Hungarian: Joshua
- Icelandic: Joshua
- Indonesian: Yosua, Joshua
- Irish: Joshua
- Italian: Giosuè
- Japanese: ジョシュア (Joshua)
- Javanese: Joshua
- Kannada: ಜೋಶುವಾ (Jōśuvā)
- Kazakh: джошуа
- Korean: 조슈아 (Josyua)
- Kurdish: Joshua
- Lao: ໂຈຊົວ-(Ochsua)
- Latin: Joshua
- Latvian: Joshua
- Lithuanian: Joshua
- Macedonian: oshошуа (Oshošua)
- Malagasy: Josoa
- Malay: Joshua
- Malayalam: ജോഷ്വ (Jēāṣva)
- Marathi: जोशुआ (Joshua)
- Mongolian: жошуа (Joshua)
- Nepali: जोशुआ (Joshua)
- Norwegian: Joshua
- Polish: Jozuego
- Portuguese: Joshua
- Punjabi: ਜੋਸ਼ੁਆ (Jōśuā)
- Romanian: Joshua
- Russian: Джошуа (Dzhoshua)
- Serbian: јосхуа (Joshua)
- Slovenian: Joshua
- Spanish: Joshua
- Sundanese: Joshua
- Swedish: Joshua
- Tajik: Ҷошуа (Çoşua)
- Tamil: ஜோஷுவா (Jōṣuvā)
- Telugu: జాషువా (Jāṣuvā)
- Thai: โจชัว (Cochạw)
- Turkish: Joshua
- Ukrainian: джошуа (Dzhoshua)
- Urdu: جوشو
- Uzbek: Joshua
- Vietnamese: Joshua
- Welsh: Joshua
Biblical figures
edit- Joshua, leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses
- Jesus, known in his own tongue as Yeshua, an Aramaic form of Yehoshua (Joshua)
- Joshua the High Priest, High Priest ca. 515–490 BC after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity
Ancient world
edit- Ordered chronologically
- Joshua ben Perachiah (given name יהושע = Yehoshua), Nasi (prince) of the Sanhedrin in the latter half of the 2nd century BC
- Joshua ben Hananiah (given name יהושע = Yehoshua) (died 131), a tanna (sage)
- Joshua ben Levi, Jewish amora (scholar) in the first half of the third century
- Joshua the Stylite, author of a chronicle of the war between the Later Roman Empire and the Persians between 502 and 506
Medieval period
edit- Joshua Lorki (fl. c. 1400), Spanish-Jewish physician
Modern era
editPre-20th century
edit- Joshua Allen, 5th Viscount Allen (1728–1816), Irish nobleman
- Joshua Barnes (1654–1712), English scholar
- Joshua Bates (financier) (1788–1864), American international financier
- Joshua Boaz ben Simon Baruch (died 1557), Talmudist in Spain and later Italy
- Joshua Boyle, Irish Member of Parliament in 1641 and 1661
- Joshua Harrison Bruce (1833-1891), American farmer and politician
- Joshua dei Cantori, Italian converted Jew who attacked the Talmud in 1559
- Joshua Caslari (fl. 1540–1558), French Jewish liturgical poet
- Joshua Chamberlain (1828–1914), American brevet major general and professor, awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Gettysburg
- Joshua Clayton (1744–1798), American Continental Army officer, Governor of Delaware and U.S. Senator
- Joshua Cooper (died 1757) (c. 1696–1757), Irish landowner and Member of Parliament
- Joshua Cooper (1732–1800), Irish landowner and Member of Parliament
- Joshua Edward Cooper (c. 1761–1837), Irish landowner and Member of Parliament
- Joshua Gwillen Doan (1811–1839), farmer and tanner who participated in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837
- Joshua Evans (Quaker minister) (1731–1798), American Quaker minister, journalist, and abolitionist
- Joshua Evans Jr. (1777–1849), American politician and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
- Joshua Falk (1555–1614), Polish Halakhist and Talmudist
- Joshua Fisher (merchant) (1707–1783), American nautical mapmaker
- Joshua Beal Ferris (1804–1886), American politician and US House Representative
- Joshua Fry (1699–1754), early American mapmaker
- Joshua Gilpin (1765-1841), American paper manufacturer
- Joshua B. Howell, (1806–1864) American (Union) Civil War officer
- Joshua Hughes (1807–1889), Welsh Anglican bishop
- Joshua Johnson (painter) (1763–1824), American painter
- Joshua Lewinsohn (1833–?), Lithuanian Jewish teacher and writer
- Joshua A. Lowell (1801–1874), American politician
- Joshua Millner (1849–1931), Irish Olympic shooter
- Joshua Abraham Norton (1818–1880), "Emperor Norton", English-born American immigrant who proclaimed himself Emperor of the United States
- Joshua T. Owen (1822–1887), American (Union) Civil War brigadier general
- Joshua C. Pierce (1830-1904), American businessman and politician
- Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792), English painter, particularly of portraits
- Joshua W. Sill (1831–1862), American (Union) Civil War brigadier general
- Joshua Slocum (1844–1909), Canadian-American seaman, first man to sail solo around the world
- Joshua 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 movement
20th and 21st centuries
edit- Josh Allen (disambiguation), multiple people
- Joshua Ang (born 1989), Singaporean film actor
- Josh Barnett (born 1977), American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler
- Joshua Bartholomew (born 1984), Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and producer
- Joshua Bassett (born 2000), American actor and singer
- Josh Beckett (born 1980), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
- Joshua Bell (born 1967), American violinist and conductor
- Joshua Bloch (born 1961), American software engineer and author
- Joshua Bradley (born 1992), British YouTuber (known online as Zerkaa), part of The Sidemen
- Joshua Ilika Brenner (born 1976), Mexican swimmer
- Joshua Brillante (born 1993), Australian footballer
- Josh Brolin (born 1968), American actor
- Joshua Cardwell (1910–1982), politician in Northern Ireland
- Joshua Cephus (born 2001), American football player
- Joshua Chelanga (born 1973), Kenyan long-distance runner
- Joshua Clottey (born 1977), Ghanaian professional boxer and former IBF welterweight champion
- Josh Cooper (cryptographer) (1901–1981), British cryptographer
- Josh Cooper (defensive end) (born 1980), American football player, formerly in the National Football League
- Josh Culbreath (1932–2021), American hurdler
- Josh Dallas, American actor, who portrayed a main character in Once Upon A Time and Manifest
- Joshua Dariye (born 1957), Nigerian politician
- Joshua Dionisio (born 1994), Filipino actor
- Joshua Dobbs (born 1995), American football player
- Josh Donaldson (born 1985), American Major League Baseball player
- Josh Duggar (born 1988), American reality TV participant and political activist
- Josh Duhamel (born 1972), American actor and former model
- Josh Dun (born 1988), American drummer, currently in the band Twenty One Pilots
- Joshua Eagle (born 1973), Australian tennis coach and former player
- Joshua Ezeudu (born 1999), American football player
- Joshua Farmer, American football player
- Joshua Fishman (1926–2015), American linguist
- Joshua Fox (born 1994), Fijian basketball player
- Joshua Frazier (born 1995), American football player
- Josh Gad (born 1981), American actor, voice actor, comedian, and singer
- Joshua Garcia (born 1997), Filipino actor and model
- Josh Gibson (1911–1947), American Negro league baseball catcher
- Josh Gordon (born 1991), American football player, formerly in the National Football League
- Joshua Green (disambiguation), multiple people
- Josh Groban (born 1981), American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer
- Joshua Guyer (born 1994), Australian professional baseball player
- Josh Hader (born 1994), American Major League Baseball player
- Josh Hamilton (born 1981), American former Major League Baseball player
- Joshua Harrison (born 1995), Australian racing cyclist
- Josh Hartnett (born 1978), American actor and movie producer
- Joshua Holsey (born 1994), American football player
- Josh Homme (born 1973), American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and actor
- Joshua Hong (born 1995), Korean-American singer
- Josh Howard (born 1980), American basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball Association
- Josh Hutcherson (born 1992), American actor
- Joshua Jackson (born 1978), Canadian-American actor
- Josh Jobe (born 1998), American football player
- Joshua Jones (disambiguation), multiple people
- Josh Jasper (born 1987), All-American college football placekicker
- Joshua Caleb Johnson, American actor
- Joshua Johnson (disambiguation), multiple people
- Joshua Kaindoh (born 1998), American football player
- Joshua Kalu (born 1995), American football player
- Joshua Karty (born 2002), American football player
- Joshua Kelley (born 1997), American football player
- Joshua Kennedy (born 1982), Australian former soccer player
- Joshua Kimmich (born 1995), German footballer
- Josh Kronfeld (born 1971), New Zealand former rugby union flanker
- Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (born 2003), American baseball player
- Joshua Livestro (born 1970), Dutch columnist and political writer
- Josh Mahoney (born 1977), Australian rules footballer
- Josh McDaniels (born 1976), American National Football League offensive coordinator and former head coach
- Joshua Meggers (born 1980), American politician
- Joshua Miles (disambiguation), multiple people
- Josh Morris (disambiguation), multiple people
- Josh Mostel (born 1946), American actor
- Joshua Neustein (born 1940), Polish-born American visual artist
- Joshua Onujiogu (born 1998), American football player
- Joshua Owusu (born 1948), Ghanaian retired triple jumper and long jumper
- Joshua Palacios (born 1995), American professional baseball player
- Josh Peck (born 1986), American actor
- Josh Pence (born 1982), American actor
- Joshua Perper (1932–2021), Romanian-born American forensic pathologist and toxicologist
- Joshua Pryor (born 1999), American football player
- Joshua Radin (born 1974), American singer-songwriter
- Josh Radnor (born 1974), American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
- Joshua Rush (born 2001), American actor
- Josh Satin (born 1984), American former Major League Baseball player
- Josh Server (born 1979), American actor and comedian
- Joshua Simon (fl. 21st century), Israeli art curator, writer and filmmaker
- Joshua Smith (disambiguation), multiple people
- Josh Thomas (comedian) (born 1987), Australian comedian, actor and writer
- Josh Tordjman (born 1985), Canadian hockey goaltender
- Josh Wagenaar (born 1985), Canadian former soccer player
- Joshua Ward-Hibbert (born 1994), British basketball player and former tennis player
- Joshua Wheeler (born 1975), American Delta Force Operator, first American service member killed in action while fighting ISIS
- Josh Whitesell (born 1982), American former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball player
- Joshua Wong (born 1996), Hong Kong activist and politician
- Josh Widdicombe, English stand-up comedian and presenter
- Josh Wilcox (born 1974), American former National Football League player
- Joshua Wilkerson (1992–2010), American murdered student
- Joshua Williams (musician) (born 1974), American drummer
- Joshua Youngblood (born 2001), American football player
- Josh Zeid (born 1987), American baseball pitcher, formerly in Major League Baseball
Fictional characters
edit- Josh Bauer (24), a minor character in season 6 of the American television series 24
- Joshua Clay (debut 1977), DC Comics superhero Tempest
- Joshua Deets (debut 1985), a recurring character in the Lonesome Dove American novel series
- Joshua Giraffe, a song by Raffi from his 1980 album: Baby Beluga
- Joshua, a computer from WarGames
- Joshua, a character who is Jake the Dog’s father in the TV series Adventure Time
- Joshua Graham, a central character in the Honest Hearts expansion of Fallout: New Vegas
- Josh Lyman (1999–2006), in the American television series The West Wing
- Joshua, in the TV series Dark Angel
- Joshua Bright, a main character in the video game The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
- Joshua "Josh" Washington, one of eight protagonists from the survival horror game Until Dawn
- Joshua "Josh" Faraday, one from titular characters from remake of western The Magnificent Seven (2016 film)
- Josh Wheeler, main character in the 2019 Netflix series Daybreak
See also
edit- Josh (disambiguation)
- Yehoshua (disambiguation)
- Jesus (name)
- Josuah Sylvester (1563–1618), English poet
References
edit- ^ Joshua at Oxford Dictionaries Online
- ^ A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament Francis Brown, with S.R. Driver and C.A. Briggs, based on the lexicon of William Gesenius. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 221 & 446
- ^ Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for Yĕhowshuwa` (Strong's 03091)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996–2008. 16 Feb 2008. http://cf.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=H3091 Archived 2008-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Behind the name – Joshua- feminine form http://www.behindthename.com/bb/fact/39476
- ^ Khan, Geoffrey (2020). The Tiberian Pronunciation Tradition of Biblical Hebrew, Volume 1. Open Book Publishers. ISBN 978-1783746767.
- ^ Ilan, Tal (2002). Lexicon of Jewish Names in Late Antiquity Part I: Palestine 330 BCE–200 CE (Texte und Studien zum Antiken Judentum 91). Tübingen, Germany: J.C.B. Mohr. p. 129.
- ^ Stern, David (1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary. Clarksville, Maryland: Jewish New Testament Publications. pp. 4–5.
- ^ "Top 100 names for baby boys in England and Wales". National Statistics Online. Office for National Statistics. 2007-12-19. Archived from the original on 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
(#2 2003–2005; #3 2006; #4 2007)
- ^ "Top 100 boys' and names, Scotland, 2000 (provisional) – listed alphabetically" (PDF). Occasional papers. General Register Office for Scotland. 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-25.
- ^ "Top 100 boys' and names, Scotland, 2000 (provisional) – listed alphabetically" (PDF). Occasional papers. General Register Office for Scotland. 2006-12-18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27.