The name Jehosheba or Yehosheba comes directly from the Hebrew name יהושׁבע (yehōshevaʿ ), where it is the name of the daughter of King Joram of Judah in 2 Kings 11:2. When her brother, Ahaziah, is killed in battle, her sister-in-law, Athaliah, tries to murder the entire royal family in an effort to become queen. In a move reminiscent of the Exodus narrative, Jehosheba saves her baby nephew, Joash, and hides him with a nursemaid in the house of the Lord for six years (2 Kings 11:2–3).

This theophoric name is a combination of the shortened form of the personal name of the Hebrew deity, יה (Yāh), and the Hebrew verb שׁבע (shāvaʿ ), which means "to swear, bind with an oath." The word שׁבע (shāvaʿ ) may also be short for the corresponding noun שׁבעה (shǝvūʿah), meaning "oath." This combination yields "Yah(weh) is my oath" or "The LORD has sworn."