Namewise

Benjamin vs Joshua

Benjamin 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 Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #39 and Joshua #67 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #44 and Joshua #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #48 and Joshua #405 among boys in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #61 and Joshua #53 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #78 and Joshua #60 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #76 and Joshua #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #83 and Joshua #81 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Benjamin and Joshua over time

Benjamin and Joshua appear together in 6 published lists, across 254 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Benjamin in 1.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Joshua reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Benjamin 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

    Benjamin and Joshua changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1971 and 2024, ending at #44 and #76.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Benjamin and Joshua averaged 12.3 places apart, ending at #61 and #53.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Benjamin and Joshua were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #61 and #53.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Benjamin #6 in 2002, Joshua #2 in 2002.

List by list

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

    Benjamin held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Joshua in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Benjamin #5 in 1977, Joshua #1 in 1993.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #44, Joshua #76.

  • New Zealand · Boys50 shared years, 1974–2023

    Benjamin held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Joshua in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Benjamin #3 in 2003, Joshua #1 in 1995.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Benjamin #39, Joshua #67.

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

    Benjamin held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Joshua in 31.

    Highest recorded here: Benjamin #50 in 2020, Joshua #17 in 2003.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #83, Joshua #81.

  • Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1973–2025

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

    Highest recorded here: Benjamin #13 in 2016, Joshua #255 in 2007.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #48, Joshua #405.

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

    Benjamin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joshua in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Joshua #2 in 2002.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #61, Joshua #53.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Benjamin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joshua in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Benjamin #22 in 2002, Joshua #6 in 2002.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #76, 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.

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 Benjamin

Pairs where Benjamin 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 — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

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

New Zealand 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 Benjamin, Joshua
FieldBenjaminJoshua
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention).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.
OriginBiblical HebrewBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈbɛndʒəmɪn//ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot 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 observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #53 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)76/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Both Benjamin and Joshua share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
  • Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Joshua.
  • Benjamin'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.

How each name got here

Benjamin

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1950

    First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1970–2023

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #61 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