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