Adam vs Joshua
Adam and Joshuacompared 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, Adam was ranked #20 and Joshua #81 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #26 and Joshua #53 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #29 and Joshua #405 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Joshua #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Joshua #60 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #57 and Joshua #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #89 and Joshua #67 among boys in New Zealand.
Adam and Joshua over time
Adam and Joshua appear together in 6 published lists, across 254 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Adam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Joshua in 1. 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.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Adam moved ahead of Joshua in England and Wales · Boys — #41 and #40 the year before became #35 and #50.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Joshua changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1974 and 2023, ending at #89 and #67.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Adam and Joshua averaged 19.5 places apart, ending at #26 and #53.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Joshua were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #26 and #53.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Adam #3 in 2001, Joshua #6 in 2002.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys54 shared years, 1971–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Joshua in 35.
Highest recorded here: Adam #7 in 1979, Joshua #1 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #57, Joshua #76.
New Zealand · Boys50 shared years, 1974–2023
Adam held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Joshua in 43.
Highest recorded here: Adam #13 in 1986, Joshua #1 in 1995.
The order changed in 1983: Joshua moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #19 and #23; by 1983 that had become #21 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adam #89, Joshua #67.
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Joshua in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Joshua #17 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Joshua #81.
Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1973–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Joshua in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #15 in 2023, Joshua #255 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #29, Joshua #405.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Joshua in 28.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Joshua #2 in 2002.
The order changed in 2024: Adam moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #41 and #40; by 2024 that had become #35 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #26, Joshua #53.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Joshua in 7.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Joshua #6 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, Joshua #63.
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 | Adam | Joshua |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally understood as the Hebrew word for 'man', with a wordplay connection in Genesis to 'ground/earth', since Adam is described as formed from earth. | From Hebrew Yehoshua, combining 'yeho' (referring to God) with 'yasha' ('to save') — 'Yahweh is salvation'. Joshua succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelites in the Old Testament. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #53 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Both Adam and Joshua share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Adam and Joshua both have 2 syllables.
- Adam's recorded meaning differs from Joshua's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Adam
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #380 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #26 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Joshua
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #77 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1971–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1971–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #53 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys