Daniel vs Joshua
Daniel 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #13 and Joshua #81 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #37 and Joshua #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #59 and Joshua #50 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #52 and Joshua #60 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Daniel was ranked #53 and Joshua #67 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #66 and Joshua #405 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #68 and Joshua #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Daniel and Joshua over time
Daniel and Joshua appear together in 6 published lists, across 253 years of shared records. Daniel held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Joshua in 2.
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.
Daniel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Joshua in 2. 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 1999, Joshua moved ahead of Daniel in England and Wales · Boys — #4 and #5 the year before became #5 and #4.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Daniel and Joshua changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1974 and 2023, ending at #53 and #67.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Daniel and Joshua averaged 8.4 places apart, ending at #59 and #50.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and Joshua were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 54 years, from 1971 to 2024, ending at #68 and #76.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys54 shared years, 1971–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Joshua in 29.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1979, Joshua #1 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #68, Joshua #76.
New Zealand · Boys50 shared years, 1974–2023
Daniel held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Joshua in 24.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #1 in 1980, Joshua #1 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Daniel #53, Joshua #67.
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Joshua in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 2009, Joshua #17 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #13, Joshua #81.
Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1973–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Joshua in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, Joshua #255 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #66, Joshua #405.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Joshua in 26.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1996, Joshua #2 in 2002.
The order changed in 1999: Joshua moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #4 and #5; by 1999 that had become #5 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #59, Joshua #50.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Joshua in 3.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 2010, Joshua #6 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #37, 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 | Daniel | Joshua |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'God is my judge', referencing the biblical prophet Daniel. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdænjəl/ | /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, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #13 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Both Daniel and Joshua share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Daniel and Joshua both have 2 syllables.
- Daniel'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
Daniel
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #280 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1954–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #64 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