Graeme vs Josh

Graeme and Joshcompared 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 2001, Graeme was ranked #280 and Josh #61 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Graeme was ranked #711 and Josh #90 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Graeme was ranked #4107 and Josh #791 among boys in England and Wales.

Graeme and Josh over time

Graeme and Josh appear together in 2 published lists, across 30 years of shared records. Josh held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Graeme 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.

Graeme reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Josh 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.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2023
Graeme held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Josh in 15.
Highest recorded here: Graeme #755 in 1996, Josh #84 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Graeme #4107, Josh #791.
Republic of Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1989–2013
Graeme held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Josh in 9.
Highest recorded here: Graeme #152 in 1992, Josh #58 in 2004.
The order changed in 1996: Josh moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #168 and #206; by 1996 that had become #336 and #208.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Graeme #711, Josh #90.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Graeme

Pairs where Graeme shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

John vs Graeme
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — John #1 in 1952, Graeme #33 in 1952.
John · Graeme · 21 shared years, 1952–1972 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1952 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Peter vs Graeme
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Peter #1 in 1954, Graeme #33 in 1952.
Peter · Graeme · 21 shared years, 1952–1972 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1954 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Graeme vs Ross
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Graeme and Ross averaged 3.7 places apart, ending at #96 and #99.
Graeme · Ross · 21 shared years, 1952–1972 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1972 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Murray vs Graeme
Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Murray and Graeme averaged 4.0 places apart, ending at #100 and #91.
Murray · Graeme · 20 shared years, 1954–1973 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1973 New Zealand ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Graeme, Josh
Field	Graeme	Josh
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	Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #188 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	88/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Graeme has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Josh.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Graeme

Popularity journey

First recorded1952
First recorded at #33 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1975
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1975).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys

Josh

Popularity journey

First recorded1989
First recorded at #278 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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2005 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys