David vs Joseph
David 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Joseph #34 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Joseph #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Joseph #47 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Joseph #56 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, David was ranked #84 and Joseph #68 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Joseph #82 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Joseph #465 among boys in Norway.
David and Joseph over time
David and Joseph appear together in 6 published lists, across 320 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Joseph in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Joseph 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 2000, Joseph moved ahead of David in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #38 and #39 the year before became #41 and #39.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and Joseph averaged 32.0 places apart, ending at #64 and #56.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Joseph were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 65 years, from 1952 to 2018, ending at #97 and #47.
List by list
Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1949–2025
David held the stronger position in 69 of those years, Joseph in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Joseph #272 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Joseph #465.
New Zealand · Boys67 shared years, 1954–2020
David held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Joseph in 25.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, Joseph #18 in 1988.
The order changed in 1996: Joseph moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #25 and #26; by 1996 that had become #28 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, Joseph #68.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys65 shared years, 1952–2018
David held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Joseph in 18.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, Joseph #32 in 2005.
The order changed in 2000: Joseph moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #38 and #39; by 2000 that had become #41 and #39.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Joseph #47.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Joseph in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Joseph #11 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Joseph #64.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joseph in 29.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Joseph #7 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Joseph #56.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Joseph in 18.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Joseph #22 in 2013.
The order changed in 2007: Joseph moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #28 and #30; by 2007 that had become #29 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Joseph #34.
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 | David | Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | |
| 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 #45 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Joseph does not have one recorded yet.
- David and Joseph both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for David; Joseph doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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