Ethan vs Joshua
Ethan 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 2023, Ethan was ranked #24 and Joshua #67 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #33 and Joshua #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #48 and Joshua #50 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #51 and Joshua #81 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #54 and Joshua #60 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #57 and Joshua #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #315 and Joshua #405 among boys in Norway.
Ethan and Joshua over time
Ethan and Joshua appear together in 5 published lists, across 162 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Ethan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Joshua reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Ethan 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 2011, Ethan moved ahead of Joshua in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #9 and #4 the year before became #4 and #9.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Ethan and Joshua averaged 15.9 places apart, ending at #48 and #50.
- Longest-running competitions
Ethan and Joshua were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 34 years, from 1991 to 2024, ending at #33 and #76.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Joshua in 20.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #30 in 2012, Joshua #17 in 2003.
The order changed in 2010: Ethan moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #45 and #30; by 2010 that had become #34 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #51, Joshua #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys34 shared years, 1991–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Joshua in 20.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Joshua #1 in 1993.
The order changed in 2011: Ethan moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #9 and #4; by 2011 that had become #4 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #33, Joshua #76.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1990–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Joshua in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #5 in 2002, Joshua #1 in 1995.
The order changed in 2018: Ethan moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #23 and #20; by 2018 that had become #11 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #24, Joshua #67.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Joshua in 28.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #11 in 2011, Joshua #2 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #48, Joshua #50.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Joshua in 12.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Joshua #6 in 2002.
The order changed in 2009: Ethan moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #10 and #6; by 2009 that had become #7 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #57, 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 | Ethan | Joshua |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. | 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 | /ˈiːθən/ | /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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (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
- Both Ethan and Joshua share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Ethan and Joshua both have 2 syllables.
- Ethan'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
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 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 recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 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