| Ezekiel | Josiah | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God strengthens | Yahweh supports |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ih-ZEE-kee-ul | joh-SY-ah |
| Syllables | 4 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2022 (6,053) | 2017 (7,079) |
| In 2025 | 5,091 | 5,509 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ezekiel | Josiah |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 33,114 | 34,599 |
| 2010s | 30,377 | 63,132 |
| 2000s | 11,124 | 33,258 |
| 1990s | 3,741 | 10,916 |
| 1980s | 1,522 | 4,406 |
| 1970s | 820 | 945 |
| 1960s | 345 | 173 |
| 1950s | 416 | 195 |
| 1940s | 472 | 164 |
| 1930s | 409 | 206 |
| 1920s | 514 | 278 |
| 1910s | 374 | 308 |
| 1900s | 118 | 77 |
| 1890s | 115 | 108 |
| 1880s | 144 | 193 |
Ezekiel is from the Hebrew for “God strengthens.”
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.
Josiah is more popular than Ezekiel today: about 5,509 US babies were given the name Josiah in 2025, compared with 5,091 named Ezekiel.
Ezekiel means God strengthens (Hebrew origin), while Josiah means Yahweh supports (hebrew origin).
In US records, Ezekiel first appears in 1880 and Josiah in 1880, so Ezekiel has the longer recorded history.