Gavin vs Joseph
Gavin 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1980, Gavin was ranked #100 and Joseph #35 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Gavin was ranked #270 and Joseph #36 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1988, Gavin was ranked #92 and Joseph #41 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gavin was ranked #898 and Joseph #56 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gavin was ranked #348 and Joseph #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Gavin and Joseph over time
Gavin and Joseph appear together in 5 published lists, across 164 years of shared records. Joseph held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Gavin in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gavin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Joseph in 1. 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
Gavin and Joseph changed places 8 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1980, ending at #100 and #35.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Gavin and Joseph averaged 20.2 places apart, ending at #92 and #41.
- Longest-running competitions
Gavin and Joseph were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #348 and #64.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Gavin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joseph in 62.
Highest recorded here: Gavin #32 in 1994, Joseph #11 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gavin #348, Joseph #64.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gavin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joseph in 29.
Highest recorded here: Gavin #185 in 1996, Joseph #7 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gavin #898, Joseph #56.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys27 shared years, 1962–1988
Gavin held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Joseph in 19.
Highest recorded here: Gavin #40 in 1973, Joseph #41 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Gavin #92, Joseph #41.
New Zealand · Boys27 shared years, 1954–1980
Gavin held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Joseph in 11.
Highest recorded here: Gavin #43 in 1972, Joseph #28 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1980: Gavin #100, Joseph #35.
Northern Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 1997–2020
Gavin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joseph in 19.
Highest recorded here: Gavin #66 in 1997, Joseph #22 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Gavin #270, Joseph #36.
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 | Gavin | Joseph |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Gavin and Joseph both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Gavin
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #70 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #32 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1994 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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