Joe vs Niall
Joe and Niallcompared 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, Joe was ranked #202 and Niall #144 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joe was ranked #152 and Niall #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joe was ranked #404 and Niall #246 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joe was ranked #785 and Niall #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Joe and Niall over time
Joe and Niall appear together in 3 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Niall held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Joe in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Niall reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Joe 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 2016, Joe moved ahead of Niall in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #149 and #104 the year before became #117 and #125.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joe and Niall changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #202 and #144.
- Longest-running competitions
Joe and Niall were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 36 years, from 1985 to 2025, ending at #152 and #244.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Joe #48 in 1997, Niall #106 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1985–2025
Joe held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Niall in 26.
Highest recorded here: Joe #117 in 2016, Niall #16 in 1991.
The order changed in 2016: Joe moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #149 and #104; by 2016 that had become #117 and #125.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joe #152, Niall #244.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joe held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Niall in 1.
Highest recorded here: Joe #48 in 1997, Niall #106 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Niall moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #587 and #625; by 2024 that had become #785 and #613.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joe #785, Niall #613.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joe held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Niall in 25.
Highest recorded here: Joe #88 in 2017, Niall #26 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joe #202, Niall #144.
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 | Joe | Niall |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #244 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joe and Niall both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Joe
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #304 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #48 among boys in England and Wales, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Niall
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys