Archer vs Joshua
Archer 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Archer was ranked #36 and Joshua #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Archer was ranked #42 and Joshua #67 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Archer was ranked #173 and Joshua #50 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Archer was ranked #209 and Joshua #60 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Archer was ranked #216 and Joshua #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Archer was ranked #577 and Joshua #81 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Archer and Joshua over time
Archer and Joshua appear together in 5 published lists, across 68 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Archer in 0.
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.
Joshua reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Archer 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Archer moved ahead of Joshua in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #48 and #34 the year before became #35 and #47.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2024
Archer held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joshua in 26.
Highest recorded here: Archer #169 in 2022, Joshua #2 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Archer #173, Joshua #50.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys13 shared years, 2012–2024
Archer held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Joshua in 7.
Highest recorded here: Archer #32 in 2018, Joshua #8 in 2012.
The order changed in 2020: Archer moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #48 and #34; by 2020 that had become #35 and #47.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Archer #36, Joshua #76.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 2013–2023
Archer held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Joshua in 7.
Highest recorded here: Archer #34 in 2022, Joshua #17 in 2013.
The order changed in 2021: Archer moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #49 and #37; by 2021 that had become #36 and #47.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Archer #42, Joshua #67.
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2025
Archer held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joshua in 10.
Highest recorded here: Archer #350 in 2024, Joshua #38 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Archer #577, Joshua #81.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2016–2024
Archer held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joshua in 8.
Highest recorded here: Archer #216 in 2024, Joshua #17 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Archer #216, 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 | Archer | Joshua |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #35 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joshua has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Archer does not have one recorded yet.
- Archer and Joshua both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Joshua; Archer doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Archer
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #1281 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2012–2025
Highest recorded position: #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2018 (recorded 2012–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #35 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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 #405 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys