Dara vs Josh
Dara and Joshcompared 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 · Boys
In 2024, Dara was ranked #89 and Josh #177 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dara was ranked #108 and Josh #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dara was ranked #535 and Josh #218 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dara was ranked #1025 and Josh #857 among boys in England and Wales.
Dara and Josh over time
Dara and Josh appear together in 3 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Josh held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dara in 1.
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.
Josh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Dara 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Dara moved ahead of Josh in Northern Ireland · Boys — #100 and #93 the year before became #100 and #102.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Dara and Josh changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #89 and #177.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Dara and Josh averaged 44.9 places apart, ending at #89 and #177.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Dara rose about as far as Josh fell — from #179 and #104 in 1997 to #89 and #177 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Dara and Josh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 36 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #108 and #188.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Dara #74 in 2007, Josh #38 in 2005.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1989–2025
Dara held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Josh in 14.
Highest recorded here: Dara #72 in 2010, Josh #56 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dara #108, Josh #188.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Dara held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Josh in 27.
Highest recorded here: Dara #779 in 2023, Josh #84 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dara #1025, Josh #857.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Dara held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Josh in 16.
Highest recorded here: Dara #74 in 2007, Josh #38 in 2005.
The order changed in 2016: Dara moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #100 and #93; by 2016 that had become #100 and #102.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dara #89, Josh #177.
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 | Dara | Josh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #108 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #188 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dara has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Josh.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Dara
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #155 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: #72 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Josh
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2005 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys