Brendan vs Joseph
Brendan and Josephcompared 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 1991, Brendan was ranked #94 and Joseph #20 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Brendan was ranked #404 and Joseph #34 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2004, Brendan was ranked #92 and Joseph #36 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Brendan was ranked #1402 and Joseph #56 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Brendan was ranked #402 and Joseph #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Brendan was ranked #619 and Joseph #82 among boys in Scotland.
Brendan and Joseph over time
Brendan and Joseph appear together in 5 published lists, across 185 years of shared records. Joseph held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Brendan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Brendan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Joseph 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
Brendan and Joseph changed places 8 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1965 and 2004, ending at #92 and #36.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 40 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Brendan and Joseph averaged 17.2 places apart, ending at #92 and #36.
- Longest-running competitions
Brendan and Joseph were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 40 years, from 1965 to 2004, ending at #92 and #36.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Brendan #157 in 1998, Joseph #7 in 2000.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #17 and #11 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #402 and #64.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Brendan held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Joseph in 60.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #16 in 1965, Joseph #11 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Brendan #402, Joseph #64.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys40 shared years, 1965–2004
Brendan held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Joseph in 25.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #25 in 1985, Joseph #34 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Brendan #92, Joseph #36.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Brendan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joseph in 29.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #157 in 1998, Joseph #7 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Brendan #1402, Joseph #56.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Brendan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joseph in 28.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #73 in 1997, Joseph #22 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Brendan #404, Joseph #34.
New Zealand · Boys26 shared years, 1966–1991
Brendan held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Joseph in 24.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #53 in 1982, Joseph #18 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Brendan #94, Joseph #20.
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 | Brendan | Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Brendan and Joseph both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Brendan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Joseph
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #33 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys