Josiah Name Meaning

By
Shannon Day
Shannon Day
Shannon Day

Shannon Day is a freelance writer specializing in parenting, lifestyle, and women's humor. She has been published in several online parenting and lifestyle sites as well as in print. Shannon is also the co-author of Martinis & Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?! 

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Published on October 22, 2021
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 by
Aaron Johnson
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What Does Josiah Mean?

The name Josiah is traditionally used as a boy's name. It is of Hebrew origin and it means: "God supports and heals." The name Josias is a Latin variation. It too is of Hebrew origins.

Josiah is derived from the Hebrew name Yoshiyahu, which incorporates the components yoshi, meaning “support,” and Yahu, which refers to the Hebrew god.

As you may have guessed, Josiah is a biblical name and it has some old-fashioned charm. Its popularity is on the rise as the name Josiah continues to climb the charts.

  • Origin: Hebrew
  • Gender: Josiah is most often used as a boy's name.
  • Pronunciation: Jow-Zei-uh


Although many baby names are separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best.

How Popular is the Name Josiah?

The name Josiah arrived on the charts first in 1903 at 637th place. Since then, the name has remained in the top 1000 baby names in the U.S.

In 2008 Josiah landed in the top 100 baby boy names and since then it has continued to rise in popularity. Its peak year was 2019 when Josiah was the 45th most popular name. 2020 saw the name drop to 50th place. It will be interesting to see if the name Josiah rises or falls in popularity in the years to come.

Name Variations

There are quite a few variations of the name Josiah, including:

  • Jasiah (Hebrew)
  • Josea (Hebrew)
  • Josiahs (Hebrew)
  • Josian (Hebrew)
  • Josias (Hebrew)
  • Jozias (Hebrew)
  • Joesiah (Hebrew)
  • Yoshiya (Hebrew)
  • Josia (African/Dutch/German)

Similar Names

Here are some names similar to Josiah:

  • Azariah
  • Benaiah
  • Caleb
  • Elias
  • Elijah
  • Isaac
  • Jebediah
  • Jeremiah
  • Joshua
  • Malachi
  • Micah
  • Nosiah
  • Nathaniel
  • Oren
  • Tosiah
  • Zakaria
  • Zebediah

Other Hebrew names to consider:

  • Aaron
  • Arion
  • Asher
  • Barbaras
  • Benson
  • Isaiah
  • Ishmael
  • Lael
  • Lavan
  • Simon
  • Sivan
  • Solomon
  • Talman
  • Uziel
  • Vered
  • Yanis
  • Yosef

Other names that start with J:

  • Jack
  • Jacob
  • Jamieson
  • Jamir
  • Jared
  • Jasper
  • Jayden
  • Jaxon
  • Jermaine
  • Jonah
  • Jordan
  • Judd
  • Jude
  • Julian
  • Justin

Common Nicknames

  • Jo
  • Joe
  • Jojo
  • Jos
  • Josey
  • Jed
  • Si
  • Siah

Suggested Sibling Names

Potential sibling names for baby Josiah could be:  

  • Aria
  • Becca
  • Cain
  • Delilah
  • Ezekiel
  • Jace
  • Jade
  • Janica
  • Jett
  • Neve
  • Seraphina
  • Shaina
  • Uri
  • Yael
  • Zara

Famous People Named Josiah

Here’s a list of famous people who are also named Josiah:

  • Josiah Binnema, a Canadian swimmer
  • Josiah Judah, an American pro-boxer
  • Josiah Jamison, an American track runner
  • Josiah Royce, an American philosopher and founder of American idealism
  • Josiah Snelgrove, a Canadian soccer player
  • Josiah Tauaefa, an American football player
  • Josiah Willard Gibbs, an American scientist

More Baby Names

Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: 


2 Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Hanks P, Hardcastle K, Hodges F. A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press; 2016.

  2. Social Security Administration. Get Ready for Baby: Popularity of a Name.

By Shannon Day
Shannon Day is a freelance writer specializing in parenting, lifestyle, and women's humor. She has been published in several online parenting and lifestyle sites as well as in print. Shannon is also the co-author of Martinis & Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?! 

See Our Editorial Process
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