Explore the Family Name Josh
The meaning of Josh
1. English: perhaps from a variant of the pet form Joce of the personal name Joslin. 2. Americanized form of Josch, itself a Germanized form of Sorbian Još: from a variant of the personal name Jošt (see Justus).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Josh in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Josh" experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, "Josh" was ranked as the 55,732nd most common surname, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 61,899th position, marking an 11.07% decrease in rank. Similarly, the count of individuals with this surname also declined from 344 in 2000 to 324 in 2010. As a proportion per 100,000 people, the occurrence of "Josh" decreased by 15.38%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #55,732 | #61,899 | -11.07% |
| Count | 344 | 324 | -5.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.13 | 0.11 | -15.38% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Josh
Turning to ethnicity, the Census data reveals some shifts over the same decade. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander with the surname "Josh" more than doubled from 5.23% in 2000 to 10.80% in 2010. However, the representation among those reporting two or more races and Black ethnicities fell to zero. The highest percentage was observed among White individuals who accounted for 77.03% in 2000, but this dropped to 69.44% in 2010. Hispanic representation remained fairly stable with a slight increase of 0.86%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw an increase of 35.76%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.03% | 69.44% | -9.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 5.23% | 10.8% | 106.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 5.23% | 7.1% | 35.76% |
| Hispanic | 5.81% | 5.86% | 0.86% |
| Two or More Races | 2.62% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 4.07% | 0% | 0% |