Jack vs Joshua
Jack 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jack was ranked #2 and Joshua #81 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jack was ranked #4 and Joshua #67 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #4 and Joshua #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #7 and Joshua #60 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #14 and Joshua #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #22 and Joshua #50 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jack was ranked #432 and Joshua #405 among boys in Norway.
Jack and Joshua over time
Jack and Joshua appear together in 6 published lists, across 221 years of shared records. Jack held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Joshua in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jack reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Joshua in 2. 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 2003, Jack moved ahead of Joshua in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #2 and #1 the year before became #1 and #2.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jack and Joshua changed places 17 times in Norway · Boys between 1973 and 2025, ending at #432 and #405.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jack and Joshua averaged 8.2 places apart, ending at #22 and #50.
- Longest-running competitions
Jack and Joshua were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 39 years, from 1986 to 2024, ending at #14 and #76.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Jack #1 in 2001, Joshua #6 in 2002.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Joshua in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2000, Joshua #17 in 2003.
The order changed in 1985: Jack moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #224 and #224; by 1985 that had become #170 and #207.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #2, Joshua #81.
Norway · Boys42 shared years, 1973–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Joshua in 21.
Highest recorded here: Jack #261 in 1989, Joshua #255 in 2007.
The order changed in 2021: Joshua moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #385 and #428; by 2021 that had become #343 and #323.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #432, Joshua #405.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys39 shared years, 1986–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Joshua in 17.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2003, Joshua #1 in 1993.
The order changed in 2003: Jack moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #2 and #1; by 2003 that had become #1 and #2.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #14, Joshua #76.
New Zealand · Boys36 shared years, 1988–2023
Jack held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Joshua in 18.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2005, Joshua #1 in 1995.
The order changed in 2012: Jack moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #10 and #2; by 2012 that had become #1 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jack #4, Joshua #67.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Joshua in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 1996, Joshua #2 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #22, Joshua #50.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Joshua in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2001, Joshua #6 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #4, Joshua #63.
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 | Jack | Joshua |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | God is gracious (via John), though now used as an independent name. | 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 | English, historically a diminutive of John | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒæk/ | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jankin | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #2 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Jack is recorded with a English, historically a diminutive of John origin, while Joshua is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Jack has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Joshua.
- Jack's recorded meaning differs from Joshua's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Jack a "high" Data Confidence level and Joshua a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Jack
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #171 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 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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 #405 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys