Namewise

Carmel vs Josephine

Carmel and Josephinecompared 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 1997, Carmel was ranked #358 and Josephine #241 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Carmel was ranked #3318 and Josephine #267 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2015, Carmel was ranked #896 and Josephine #462 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Carmel and Josephine over time

Carmel and Josephine appear together in 2 published lists, across 74 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Josephine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Carmel 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.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Carmel and Josephine changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2015, ending at #896 and #462.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Carmel and Josephine were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 46 years, from 1964 to 2015, ending at #896 and #462.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Carmel #955 in 1998, Josephine #168 in 1997.

  • Started together, ended far apart

    In 1964 they stood at #21 and #25 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 4 places apart; by 2015 they were #896 and #462.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 19642015

    Carmel held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Josephine in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Carmel #21 in 1964, Josephine #25 in 1964.

    The order changed in 2015: Josephine moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #612 and #677; by 2015 that had become #896 and #462.

    Most recent shared year, 2015: Carmel #896, Josephine #462.

  • England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 19962024

    Carmel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Josephine in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Carmel #955 in 1998, Josephine #168 in 1997.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Carmel #3318, Josephine #267.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Carmel, Josephine
FieldCarmelJosephine
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables24
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IEAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #3318 (2024)Norway · Girls #241 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10070/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Carmel has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Josephine.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Carmel

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #85 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2015

    Highest recorded position: #21 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2015).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls

Josephine

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1951

    First recorded at #367 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #241 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls