Joash is a Hebrew biblical name meaning “given by the Lord” or “fire of the Lord.”
Joash is an ancient Hebrew name typically rendered as יוֹאָשׁ (Yo'ash), understood by most scholars to mean "Yahweh has bestowed" or, in an alternative reading, "fire of Yahweh." It shares its divine prefix with names like Joel and Jonah, rooting it firmly in the theophoric naming conventions of the ancient Near East, where invoking the deity's name was a declaration of faith and gratitude woven into a child's very identity. The Hebrew Bible records several notable bearers.
Most prominent is Joash of Judah, who became king at the age of seven after being hidden in the Temple to escape the murderous purge of Queen Athaliah. His remarkable story — a child-king sheltered by priests, then restored to his rightful throne — has captured readers for millennia and inspired medieval and Renaissance dramatists. There was also a Joash among the tribe of Manasseh and a father of the judge Gideon who bore the name, indicating its broad usage across Israelite society.
For centuries Joash was confined almost entirely to Jewish and scholarly religious contexts, but the twenty-first century's appetite for rare, sonorous Old Testament names has brought it gently back into view. Parents seeking an alternative to the ubiquitous Noah or Elijah have discovered Joash as a name with equal spiritual weight and considerably more originality. It carries the gravitas of deep antiquity while feeling, in its single syllable, surprisingly modern.