Dylan vs Joshua
Dylan 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, Dylan was ranked #80 and Joshua #37 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #64 and Joshua #50 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #104 and Joshua #60 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #154 and Joshua #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2022, Dylan was ranked #91 and Joshua #69 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dylan was ranked #69 and Joshua #81 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Dylan and Joshua over time
Dylan and Joshua appear together in 5 published lists, across 184 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Dylan in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Dylan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Dylan and Joshua changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #154 and #63.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Dylan and Joshua averaged 25.0 places apart, ending at #64 and #50.
- Longest-running competitions
Dylan and Joshua were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 39 years, from 1983 to 2022, ending at #91 and #69.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Dylan #12 in 1995, Joshua #1 in 1993.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025
Dylan held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Joshua in 1.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 1998, Joshua #17 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dylan #69, Joshua #81.
New Zealand · Boys41 shared years, 1980–2020
Dylan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joshua in 41.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 1992, Joshua #1 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Dylan #80, Joshua #37.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys39 shared years, 1983–2022
Dylan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joshua in 39.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #12 in 1995, Joshua #1 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Dylan #91, Joshua #69.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joshua in 29.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #16 in 2010, Joshua #2 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #64, Joshua #50.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Joshua in 23.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 2001, Joshua #6 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #154, 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 | Dylan | Joshua |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the sea/tide — popularly glossed as 'great tide' or 'born from the sea', reflecting the mythological figure's role. Some scholars theorise the figure may reflect an earlier, otherwise unattested Celtic sea god — treat as a proposed origin, not settled fact. | 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 | Welsh | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪlən/ | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dylan is recorded with a Welsh origin, while Joshua is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Dylan and Joshua both have 2 syllables.
- Dylan'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Dylan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #246 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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