Ashley vs Joy
Ashley 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 2017, Ashley was ranked #432 and Joy #215 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ashley was ranked #443 and Joy #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ashley was ranked #1406 and Joy #467 among girls in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ashley was ranked #880 and Joy #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
Ashley and Joy over time
Ashley and Joy appear together in 4 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Ashley held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Joy in 0.
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.
Ashley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Joy in 1. 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
Ashley and Joy changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2017, ending at #432 and #215.
- Longest-running competitions
Ashley and Joy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 58 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #443 and #608.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ashley #152 in 1996, Joy #449 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1965–2025
Ashley held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Joy in 19.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #128 in 1995, Joy #185 in 1982.
The order changed in 2022: Ashley moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #661 and #586; by 2022 that had become #389 and #905.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ashley #443, Joy #608.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ashley held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Joy in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #152 in 1996, Joy #449 in 1997.
The order changed in 2015: Joy moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #699 and #740; by 2015 that had become #708 and #666.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ashley #1406, Joy #467.
England and Wales · Boys17 shared years, 2002–2024
Ashley held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Joy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #95 in 2002, Joy #2400 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ashley #880, Joy #5119.
Northern Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 1997–2017
Ashley held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Joy in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #127 in 1997, Joy #215 in 2017.
The order changed in 2017: Joy moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #363 and #444; by 2017 that had become #432 and #215.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ashley #432, Joy #215.
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 | Ashley | Joy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ashley has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Joy.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Ashley
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #372 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 recorded1985–2011
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1987 (recorded 1985–2011).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 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