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Asher vs Josiah

Which is more popular?
Asher is more popular than Josiah today: about 7,456 US babies were given the name Asher in 2025, compared with 5,509 named Josiah.
AsherJosiah
Meaning happy, blessed Yahweh supports
Origin hebrew hebrew
Gender Boy Boy
Pronunciation AH-sher joh-SY-ah
Syllables 2 3
First appeared18801880
Peak year2022 (8,418)2017 (7,079)
In 20257,4565,509
TrendNear its peakSteady
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Asher Josiah
18801900192019401960198020002020

Source: US Social Security Administration.

Births by decade

DecadeAsherJosiah
2020s 47,998 34,599
2010s 48,557 63,132
2000s 11,125 33,258
1990s 1,705 10,916
1980s 787 4,406
1970s 315 945
1960s 121 173
1950s 100 195
1940s 103 164
1930s 114 206
1920s 152 278
1910s 108 308
1900s 0 77
1890s 11 108
1880s 31 193

What does Asher mean?

From the Hebrew root a-sh-r and the noun osher, 'happiness, good fortune, blessedness.' In Genesis 30:13 the name is introduced with Leah's exclamation 'Happy am I!' (be'oshri) — a biblical wordplay, though the link to the root 'to be happy/fortunate' is also sound linguistically.

What does Josiah mean?

From Hebrew Yoshiyahu, a theophoric name ending in Yah (Yahweh). Lexicons (BDB) read it 'Yah supports/supporteth'; the underlying verb (yasha) carries the sense 'save, deliver.' The popular rendering 'Yahweh heals' is common on name sites but is not supported by the root, so 'supports' is the better-attested gloss.

Frequently asked questions

Is Asher or Josiah more popular?

Asher is more popular than Josiah today: about 7,456 US babies were given the name Asher in 2025, compared with 5,509 named Josiah.

What is the difference between Asher and Josiah?

Asher means happy, blessed (hebrew origin), while Josiah means Yahweh supports (hebrew origin).

Which name is older, Asher or Josiah?

In US records, Asher first appears in 1880 and Josiah in 1880, so Asher has the longer recorded history.