Harry vs Josef
Harry and Josefcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Harry was ranked #9 and Josef #422 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #20 and Josef #2443 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2002, Harry was ranked #41 and Josef #281 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Harry was ranked #431 and Josef #202 among boys in Norway.
Harry and Josef over time
Harry and Josef appear together in 2 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Josef 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Harry and Josef were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 35 years, from 1946 to 2019, ending at #431 and #202.
List by list
Norway · Boys35 shared years, 1946–2019
Harry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Josef in 6.
Highest recorded here: Harry #69 in 1946, Josef #196 in 2017.
The order changed in 1995: Josef moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #575 and #580; by 1995 that had become #590 and #343.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Harry #431, Josef #202.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Josef in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Josef #283 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #20, Josef #2443.
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 | Harry | Josef |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A diminutive/pet form, inheriting its meaning from Henry — 'home ruler' — and functioning, in modern times, as a nickname for both Henry and names beginning with 'Har-'. During the Middle Ages in England, Henry was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) | Norway · Boys #236 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harry has a recorded origin (English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry); Josef does not have one recorded yet.
- Harry and Josef both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harry; Josef doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Harry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Josef
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #274 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1946–2025
Highest recorded position: #189 among boys in Norway, in 2021 (recorded 1946–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #236 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys