Feargal vs Joshua
Feargal 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1998, Feargal was ranked #240 and Joshua #15 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2000, Feargal was ranked #312 and Joshua #34 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Feargal and Joshua over time
Feargal and Joshua appear together in 1 published list, across 19 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Feargal in 0.
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.
Feargal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Joshua 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 1989, Joshua moved ahead of Feargal in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #186 and #201 the year before became #278 and #146.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Feargal and Joshua changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1974 and 2000, ending at #312 and #34.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 1974–2000
Feargal held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Joshua in 14.
Highest recorded here: Feargal #172 in 1986, Joshua #34 in 2000.
The order changed in 1989: Joshua moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #186 and #201; by 1989 that had become #278 and #146.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Feargal #312, Joshua #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 | Feargal | Joshua |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #312 (2000) | England and Wales · Boys #53 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joshua has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Feargal does not have one recorded yet.
- Feargal and Joshua both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Joshua; Feargal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Feargal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #191 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 recorded1964–2000
Highest recorded position: #159 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2000).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2000
Most recently recorded at #312 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2000.
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 #53 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys