Adrian vs Josef
Adrian and Josefcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adrian was ranked #70 and Josef #236 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Adrian was ranked #161 and Josef #422 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #244 and Josef #2443 among boys in England and Wales.
Adrian and Josef over time
Adrian and Josef appear together in 2 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Josef in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adrian and Josef changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1958 and 2025, ending at #70 and #236.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Josef were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 59 years, from 1958 to 2025, ending at #70 and #236.
List by list
Norway · Boys59 shared years, 1958–2025
Adrian held the stronger position in 56 of those years, Josef in 3.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #3 in 2005, Josef #189 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adrian #70, Josef #236.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Josef in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Josef #283 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #244, Josef #2443.
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 | Adrian | Josef |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Latin name Hadrianus. Borne by several saints and six popes, including the only English pope, Adrian IV. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.dɹi.ən/ | 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | Norway · Boys #236 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adrian has a recorded origin (Latin); Josef does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Josef both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Josef doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Adrian
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #87 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1958–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2005 (recorded 1958–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #70 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Josef
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #274 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1946–2025
Highest recorded position: #189 among boys in Norway, in 2021 (recorded 1946–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #236 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys