Aaron vs Josiah
Aaron and Josiahcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Josiah #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2001, Aaron was ranked #85 and Josiah #98 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Josiah #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Josiah #212 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Josiah #256 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Aaron and Josiah over time
Aaron and Josiah appear together in 3 published lists, across 55 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Josiah in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Aaron reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Josiah in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Josiah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Josiah #212 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Josiah #212.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2000–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Josiah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Josiah #226 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Josiah #256.
Republic of Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 2011–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Josiah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #16 in 2011, Josiah #516 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Josiah #577.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Josiah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin)); Josiah does not have one recorded yet.
- Aaron and Josiah both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Aaron; Josiah doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Josiah
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #588 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys