Joan vs Lois
Joan and Loiscompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1956, Joan was ranked #91 and Lois #100 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Joan was ranked #1743 and Lois #374 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Joan was ranked #898 and Lois #556 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Joan and Lois over time
Joan and Lois appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Joan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Lois 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 · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lois in 29.
Highest recorded here: Joan #1287 in 1997, Lois #109 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joan #1743, Lois #374.
Republic of Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1994–2024
Joan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Lois in 4.
Highest recorded here: Joan #240 in 1994, Lois #474 in 2018.
The order changed in 2018: Lois moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #651 and #734; by 2018 that had become #629 and #474.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joan #898, Lois #556.
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 | Joan | Lois |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #898 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joan and Lois both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Joan
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #351 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #31 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1743 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Lois
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #82 among girls in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #82 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls