Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1925

Hosea

Meaning Hosea Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,154 Trend ↑ Rising 14%

From Latin Hōsēās, from Ancient Greek Ὡσηέ (Hōsēé), from Biblical Hebrew הוֹשֵׁעַ (hōšḗaʿ, “Hosea”), from the masculine singular imperative of הוֹשִׁיעַ (hoshía', “to…

Rank 2025
#2,154
among boys · ↑200 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
67
named Hosea · +12% vs 2024
How common
1 in 25,494
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1925
74 babies
All-time total
5,501
#1,688 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Hosea popularity over time

5,501 babies have been named Hosea since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 155 155 16 – #360
1890s – 114 114 11 -26% #487
1900s – 154 154 15 +35% #407
1910s 5 386 391 39 +154% #645
1920s 10 583 593 59 +52% #770
1930s 5 474 479 48 -19% #827
1940s – 437 437 44 -9% #853
1950s – 555 555 56 +27% #844
1960s – 439 439 44 -21% #974
1970s – 394 394 39 -10% #1,194
1980s – 283 283 28 -28% #1,774
1990s – 306 306 31 +8% #1,729
2000s – 296 296 30 -3% #2,581
2010s – 547 547 55 +85% #2,074
2020s (to 2025) – 358 358 60 +9% #2,154

Where Hosea is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 69 0.04 outside top 500
2027 71 0.04 outside top 500
2028 72 0.04 outside top 500
2029 74 0.04 outside top 500
2030 75 0.04 outside top 500

The story of Hosea

Hosea is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,154 in 2025 with 67 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 5,501 American babies have been named Hosea. Its peak came in 1925, when 74 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Hosea stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hosea?

The median living Hosea is about 39 years old; half are between 13 and 63. An estimated 3,200 people named Hosea are alive in the United States today.

median 39 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Hosea year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 67 #2,154
2024 – – 60 #2,354
2023 – – 56 #2,423
2022 – – 65 #2,225
2021 – – 49 #2,635
2020 – – 61 #2,247
2019 – – 44 #2,824
2018 – – 61 #2,245
2017 – – 56 #2,330
2016 – – 56 #2,349
2015 – – 68 #2,074
2014 – – 64 #2,141
2013 – – 45 #2,637
2012 – – 62 #2,165
2011 – – 40 #2,922
2010 – – 51 #2,443
2009 – – 26 #3,959
2008 – – 30 #3,588
2007 – – 29 #3,634
2006 – – 32 #3,339
2005 – – 27 #3,561
2004 – – 26 #3,568
2003 – – 29 #3,225
2002 – – 28 #3,215
2001 – – 37 #2,581
2000 – – 32 #2,832
1995 – – 27 #2,713
1990 – – 40 #1,915
1985 – – 34 #1,774
1980 – – 29 #1,923
1975 – – 45 #1,292
1970 – – 39 #1,343
1965 – – 42 #1,175
1960 – – 51 #1,087
1955 – – 58 #990
1950 – – 55 #930
1945 – – 26 #1,311
1940 – – 55 #853
1935 – – 31 #1,215
1930 – – 48 #987
1925 – – 74 #770
1920 – – 62 #869
1915 – – 45 #933
1910 – – 21 #645
1905 – – 20 #516
1900 – – 18 #592
1895 – – 12 #623
1890 – – 10 #646
1885 – – 24 #360
1880 – – 10 #619

Famous people named Hosea

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Hosea Hosea Biblical character b. -784 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Hosea, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Hosea?

The median living Hosea is about 39 years old. Half of all living Hoseas are between 13 and 63 years old.

How many people named Hosea are alive today?

An estimated 3,200 people named Hosea are alive in the United States, based on 5,501 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hosea mean?

From Latin Hōsēās, from Ancient Greek Ὡσηέ (Hōsēé), from Biblical Hebrew הוֹשֵׁעַ (hōšḗaʿ, “Hosea”), from the masculine singular imperative of הוֹשִׁיעַ (hoshía', “to save”).

How popular is the name Hosea in 2025?

Hosea ranked #2,154 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 67 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hosea?

5,501 babies have been named Hosea in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hosea most popular?

Hosea peaked in 1925, when 74 newborns received the name.

Is Hosea a boy or girl name?

Hosea is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Hosea rising or falling?

Hosea is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Hosea become more popular?

Hosea is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 75 boys named Hosea in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Hosea?

Well-known people named Hosea include Hosea (religious figure).

Names like Hosea

Names that sound and feel close to Hosea: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Hosea with similar names → More names starting with H →