Jesse vs Joseph
Jesse 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jesse was ranked #102 and Joseph #34 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2014, Jesse was ranked #93 and Joseph #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2017, Jesse was ranked #99 and Joseph #51 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jesse was ranked #54 and Joseph #56 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jesse was ranked #141 and Joseph #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jesse was ranked #290 and Joseph #82 among boys in Scotland.
Jesse and Joseph over time
Jesse and Joseph appear together in 5 published lists, across 153 years of shared records. Joseph held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Jesse in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Joseph reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Jesse 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
Jesse and Joseph changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1981 and 2017, ending at #99 and #51.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Jesse and Joseph averaged 21.2 places apart, ending at #93 and #49.
- Longest-running competitions
Jesse and Joseph were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 30 years, from 1985 to 2014, ending at #93 and #49.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Jesse #18 in 1990, Joseph #18 in 1988.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys42 shared years, 1970–2025
Jesse held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joseph in 42.
Highest recorded here: Jesse #133 in 2023, Joseph #16 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jesse #141, Joseph #64.
New Zealand · Boys32 shared years, 1981–2017
Jesse held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Joseph in 30.
Highest recorded here: Jesse #18 in 1990, Joseph #18 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Jesse #99, Joseph #51.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys30 shared years, 1985–2014
Jesse held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Joseph in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jesse #30 in 1996, Joseph #32 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Jesse #93, Joseph #49.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jesse held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Joseph in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jesse #54 in 2024, Joseph #7 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jesse #54, Joseph #56.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2024
Jesse held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joseph in 20.
Highest recorded here: Jesse #102 in 2024, Joseph #22 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jesse #102, Joseph #34.
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 | Jesse | 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, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (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
- Jesse and Joseph both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Jesse
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1981–2017
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in New Zealand, in 1990 (recorded 1981–2017).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #141 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