Joshua in Chinese
How to write Joshua in Chinese, how to say it, and real Chinese names that sound like it.
Joshua, written by sound
乔舒亚
Qiáoshūyà
- 乔qiáo
- 舒shū
- 亚yà
This is how Joshua is written by sound: in the news, on maps and in translated books. Each character is there for its sound, so their meanings don't add up to anything.
But it isn't a Chinese name. Chinese parents choose a name for what it means, like the ones below.
Real Chinese names that sound like Joshua
Each one echoes the sound of Joshua and means something good on its own. Tap the buttons to hear a character, watch it written, or write it yourself.
Classic name
书言Shūyán
books and words
shū
books
yán
words
More Chinese names for Joshua
Not as close to Joshua in sound, but each one is a real name with a meaning of its own.
Classic name
嘉树Jiāshù
a fine tree
jiā
fine, praiseworthy
shù
tree
Poetic name
望舒Wàngshū
the moon's charioteer
wàng
to gaze afar; the full moon
shū
at ease
Stroke order follows the mainland China standard; a few characters are written differently in Taiwan.
Get your own Chinese name
Joshua, get eight real names in the style you like (classic, poetic, wuxia…) and pick the one that feels like you. It takes a minute.
How Chinese names work
The family name comes first, and it is almost always one character: 王 Wáng, 李 Lǐ, 林 Lín. A few have two, like 欧阳 Ōuyáng.
The given name follows: one or two characters, chosen for what they mean. A virtue, a flower, a wish from the parents.
So with a family name in front, 书言 becomes a full name such as 林书言 (Lín Shūyán).
About the name Joshua
In the US, Joshua was the 3rd most popular boys’ name of the 2000s. In 2025 it is number 66. In England and Wales it was number 5 in 1996 and is number 53 in 2025.
Sources: US Social Security Administration, Office for National Statistics (UK).