Namewise

Alexander vs Joshua

Alexander 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.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Alexander was ranked #13 and Joshua #60 among boys in Scotland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Alexander was ranked #16 and Joshua #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Alexander was ranked #33 and Joshua #67 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Alexander was ranked #38 and Joshua #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Alexander was ranked #40 and Joshua #53 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Alexander was ranked #55 and Joshua #81 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Alexander was ranked #81 and Joshua #405 among boys in Norway.

Alexander and Joshua over time

Alexander and Joshua appear together in 7 published lists, across 279 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Alexander in 3.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Joshua reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Alexander in 2. 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 took the other's place near the top

    In Northern Ireland · Boys, Alexander moved into the top 50 at #38 in 2024 as Joshua fell out of it to #63, having been #46 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2021, Alexander moved ahead of Joshua in England and Wales · Boys — #26 and #23 the year before became #27 and #31.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Alexander and Joshua changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1974 and 2025, ending at #55 and #81.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Alexander and Joshua averaged 12.1 places apart, ending at #40 and #53.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Alexander and Joshua were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #40 and #53.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Boys within 2 years — Alexander #12 in 2024, Joshua #60 in 2024.

List by list

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys54 shared years, 1971–2024

    Alexander held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Joshua in 41.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #8 in 2014, Joshua #1 in 1993.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #16, Joshua #76.

  • New Zealand · Boys48 shared years, 1976–2023

    Alexander held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Joshua in 40.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #13 in 2014, Joshua #1 in 1995.

    The order changed in 2018: Alexander moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #24 and #20; by 2018 that had become #26 and #38.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Alexander #33, Joshua #67.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025

    Alexander held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Joshua in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #31 in 2018, Joshua #17 in 2003.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #55, Joshua #81.

  • Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1973–2025

    Alexander held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Joshua in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 1989, Joshua #255 in 2007.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #81, Joshua #405.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Alexander held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Joshua in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #14 in 1996, Joshua #2 in 2002.

    The order changed in 2021: Alexander moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #26 and #23; by 2021 that had become #27 and #31.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #40, Joshua #53.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Alexander held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Joshua in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #26 in 2014, Joshua #6 in 2002.

    The order changed in 2024: Alexander moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #70 and #46; by 2024 that had become #38 and #63.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #38, Joshua #63.

  • Scotland · Boys27 shared years, 2024–2024

    Alexander held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Joshua in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 2024, Joshua #60 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #13, Joshua #60.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Alexander

Pairs where Alexander shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Joshua

Pairs where Joshua shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alexander, Joshua
FieldAlexanderJoshua
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'defender of men' or 'protector of the people'.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.
OriginGreekBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˌælɪɡˈzændər//ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/
Syllables42
Common variants / nicknamesAlex, Xander, Sasha, AlessandroNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationUnited Kingdom #11 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #53 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)65/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)70/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Alexander is recorded with a Greek origin, while Joshua is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
  • Alexander has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Joshua.
  • Alexander'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.
  • The available evidence gives Alexander a "high" Data Confidence level and Joshua a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Alexander

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1948

    First recorded at #320 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1952–2025

    Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2014 (recorded 1952–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #40 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Joshua

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1971–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1971–2024).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #53 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys