ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
Perplexity
The short answer
Josiah is a masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "Yahweh supports". Behind the Name derives it from the Hebrew Yoshiyahu, built from ʾashya ("support") and yah, a reference to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament Josiah is a king of Judah remembered for his religious reforms, killed fighting the Egyptians at Megiddo in the 7th century BC. The name entered English use after the Protestant Reformation. It is pronounced jo-SIE-ə. In the United States it ranked #54 for boys in 2025, and Jasiah and Joziah are listed as English variant spellings.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Josiah as coming "from the Hebrew name יֹאשִׁיָהוּ (Yoshiyahu) meaning 'Yahweh supports', from אָשְׁיָה (ʾashya) meaning 'support' and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God". The entry lists the roots as ʾashya + Yahweh. It records the biblical bearer as a king of Judah famous for religious reforms, killed at Megiddo in the 7th century BC, and notes that in England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation. The variant spellings Jasiah and Joziah are given for English; forms in other languages include Josias (French, Portuguese), Josías (Spanish), Iosias (Greek, Latin) and Yoshiyahu (Hebrew).
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew | אָשְׁיָה (ʾashya) | support |
| Hebrew | יָהּ (yah) | referring to the Hebrew God (Yahweh) |
| Hebrew | יֹאשִׁיָהוּ (Yoshiyahu) | Yahweh supports |
Popularity
Josiah ranked #54 for boys in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Behind the Name's historical note is that the name came into English use after the Protestant Reformation; no other national rankings were checked in this pass.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #54 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Jasiah, Joziah, Josias, Josías, Iosias, Yoshiyahu
Related names: Josias, Yoshiyahu
What the name feels like
Josiah reads as a soft, three-syllable Old Testament name: the stressed long -si- in the middle gives it a lilt that Isaiah and Elijah share, while the Jos- opening keeps it close to the more familiar Joshua and Joseph. It feels traditional without feeling dated.
Style tags: biblical, three syllables, -iah ending, traditional
Editorial interpretation: These style impressions are editorial judgment, not linguistic fact. Behind the Name lists no diminutives for Josiah; any short forms such as Jo or Si are not documented in the sources used and were left out.
If you like this name
Names that share Josiah's biblical -iah sound or its Reformation-era Old Testament character (editorial suggestions).
Similar by sound
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Josiah mean?
Josiah means "Yahweh supports". It comes from the Hebrew name Yoshiyahu, formed from ʾashya ("support") and yah, a reference to the Hebrew God, according to Behind the Name.
Is Josiah a biblical name?
Yes. In the Old Testament Josiah is a king of Judah known for his religious reforms; Behind the Name records that he was killed fighting the Egyptians at Megiddo in the 7th century BC.
How popular is Josiah?
Josiah ranked #54 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Josiah — supports etymology, biblical bearer, pronunciation, variants, Reformation-era usage.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
