Aoife vs Joy
Aoife and Joycompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Aoife was ranked #8 and Joy #264 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Aoife was ranked #34 and Joy #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Aoife was ranked #87 and Joy #384 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Aoife was ranked #220 and Joy #467 among girls in England and Wales.
Aoife and Joy over time
Aoife and Joy appear together in 3 published lists, across 109 years of shared records. Aoife held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Joy in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Joy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Aoife 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.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Aoife and Joy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 59 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #34 and #608.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls59 shared years, 1965–2025
Aoife held the stronger position in 59 of those years, Joy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aoife #1 in 2000, Joy #185 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aoife #34, Joy #608.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aoife held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Joy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aoife #167 in 2015, Joy #449 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aoife #220, Joy #467.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1997–2023
Aoife held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Joy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aoife #6 in 2022, Joy #215 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Aoife #8, Joy #264.
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 | Aoife | Joy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #34 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aoife has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Joy.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Aoife
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #206 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #34 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Joy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #68 among girls 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 · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1960
Highest recorded position: #62 among girls in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1960).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls