Hosea
In the Hebrew Bible, Hosea, also known as Osee, son of Beeri, was an 8th-century BC prophet in Israel and the nominal primary author of the Book of Hosea. He is the first of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose collective writings were aggregated and organized into a single book in the Jewish Tanakh by the Second Temple period but which are distinguished as individual books in Christianity.
Meaning & Origin of Hosea
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
In the Hebrew Bible, Hosea, also known as Osee, son of Beeri, was an 8th-century BC prophet in Israel and the nominal primary author of the Book of Hosea. He is the first of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose collective writings were aggregated and organized into a single book in the Jewish Tanakh by the Second Temple period but which are distinguished as individual books in Christianity.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hosea
Hosea first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1925, when 74 Hoseas were born — ranking #766 that year. As of 2026, Hosea ranks #2,374 for baby boys with 60 births, gradually rising (+11%). In total, more than 6K Hoseas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Where is Hosea most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- NA34%
- TZ21%
- Nigeria19%
- Kenya15%
- United States10%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Hosea
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hosea is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hosea
What does the name Hosea mean?
How popular is Hosea in 2026?
When was Hosea most popular?
In which U.S. states is Hosea most popular?
Is Hosea a unisex name?
What names go well with Hosea?
About the name Hosea
Hosea is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Hosea's peak popularity came in 1925 when it ranked #355. Use the chart and map above to compare Hosea's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1925 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.