Iarla vs Josh
Iarla 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Iarla was ranked #149 and Josh #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Iarla was ranked #239 and Josh #177 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2015, Iarla was ranked #4747 and Josh #348 among boys in England and Wales.
Iarla and Josh over time
Iarla and Josh appear together in 2 published lists, across 34 years of shared records. Josh held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Iarla 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.
Josh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Iarla 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 2024, Iarla moved ahead of Josh in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #150 and #107 the year before became #153 and #158.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1993–2025
Iarla held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Josh in 22.
Highest recorded here: Iarla #135 in 2021, Josh #56 in 2003.
The order changed in 2024: Iarla moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #150 and #107; by 2024 that had become #153 and #158.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Iarla #149, Josh #188.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2015–2024
Iarla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Josh in 8.
Highest recorded here: Iarla #239 in 2024, Josh #93 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Iarla #239, Josh #177.
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 | Iarla | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #149 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #188 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Iarla has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Josh.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Iarla
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #322 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #135 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1981–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #149 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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