Josh Warren vs Joshua Warren

I'm often asked - Josh or Joshua, which do I prefer to be called? And, well, the answer is more complicated than you would think. In casual, in-person conversation - say, we run into each other at a conference - feel free to call me Josh or Joshua, I'll answer to either and have no real preference.

However, if you see me present, read an article I write or ask me how I prefer to be addressed in a professional setting, you'll always see me listed as Joshua Warren, never Josh Warren.

Why? You might not believe it, but - for SEO reasons!

You see, my parents accidentally gave me one of the most common names in the United States! There are over 600,000 men in the United States named Joshua - it's the 38th most common male first name in the US. There's almost 200,000 Warrens in the United States - it's the 138th most common last name in the US. So, 'Joshua Warren' isn't quite as bad as 'John Smith', but it's close!

This wouldn't be a big deal, except, well - as you'll see if you Google, there's another Josh Warren who works in online design and development. And if you search for Joshua Warren - well, brace yourselves, because there's a rather interesting individual out there who shares the name Joshua Warren with me.

So, I decided a few years back, when I was able to secure joshuawarren.com, that I would consistently use Joshua Warren instead of Josh Warren as my name in professional settings. My hope is that if you ever happen to link to me or mention me online, you'll use my full name - Joshua Warren - and that if enough people do this over time, I'll be easier to find online when you search for Joshua Warren.