Angela vs Josephine
Angela and Josephinecompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1992, Angela was ranked #96 and Josephine #81 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2022, Angela was ranked #437 and Josephine #238 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Angela was ranked #1229 and Josephine #256 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2013, Angela was ranked #440 and Josephine #440 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Angela was ranked #608 and Josephine #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Angela and Josephine over time
Angela and Josephine appear together in 5 published lists, across 157 years of shared records. Angela held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Josephine in 2.
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.
Josephine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Angela 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Angela and Josephine changed places 15 times in Norway · Girls between 1960 and 2022, ending at #437 and #238.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Angela and Josephine averaged 58.0 places apart, ending at #608 and #483.
- Longest-running competitions
Angela and Josephine were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1229 and #256.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Angela #382 in 1996, Josephine #168 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Angela held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Josephine in 14.
Highest recorded here: Angela #21 in 1965, Josephine #25 in 1964.
The order changed in 2025: Josephine moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #372 and #441; by 2025 that had become #608 and #483.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Angela #608, Josephine #483.
Norway · Girls49 shared years, 1960–2022
Angela held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Josephine in 22.
Highest recorded here: Angela #248 in 1978, Josephine #238 in 2022.
The order changed in 2011: Josephine moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #444 and #490; by 2011 that had become #565 and #344.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Angela #437, Josephine #238.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Angela held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Josephine in 30.
Highest recorded here: Angela #382 in 1996, Josephine #168 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Angela #1229, Josephine #256.
New Zealand · Girls8 shared years, 1954–1992
Angela held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Josephine in 2.
Highest recorded here: Angela #51 in 1960, Josephine #74 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Angela #96, Josephine #81.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2013
Angela held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Josephine in 5.
Highest recorded here: Angela #248 in 2000, Josephine #229 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Angela #440, Josephine #440.
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 | Angela | Josephine |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) | Norway · Girls #241 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Angela has 3 syllables, compared with 4 for Josephine.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Angela
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #362 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1229 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Josephine
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #367 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #256 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls