Joshua

The Book of Joshua records the fall of Jericho, where the walls collapsed at the seventh blast of priestly trumpets, the conquest of the Promised Land, and its division among the twelve tribes.

He is venerated as a saint by Catholic, Orthodox, and Coptic Christians and as a prophet (Yusha ibn Nun) in Islam.

Cultural reach is enormous. The spiritual Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho became a cornerstone of African American gospel music, recorded by everyone from Mahalia Jackson to Elvis Presley.

The 1983 film WarGames centered on a military supercomputer named Joshua; the painter Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was the first president of the Royal Academy in London; the novelist Joshua Ferris won acclaim with Then We Came to the End.

Joshua trees, the giant yuccas of the Mojave, were named by Mormon settlers who saw the prophet’s outstretched arms in the branches.

Joshua re-entered the American mainstream in the 1970s, climbing rapidly through the 1980s to a peak of 3rd in 1989, where it remained inside the top 10 for nearly two decades.

As of 2024 it has settled in the 40-50 range, still one of the most-used biblical boys’ names in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa.

Contemporary bearers include heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, NBA forward Josh Hart, actor Joshua Jackson, and Broadway composer Joshua Schmidt. The diminutive Josh remains as common as the full form, giving the name uncommon flexibility.