Joe vs Sam
Joe and Samcompared 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, Joe was ranked #152 and Sam #50 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joe was ranked #404 and Sam #127 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joe was ranked #202 and Sam #187 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joe was ranked #785 and Sam #334 among boys in England and Wales.
Joe and Sam over time
Joe and Sam appear together in 3 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Sam held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Joe in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sam 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joe and Sam changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #785 and #334.
- Longest-running competitions
Joe and Sam were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 36 years, from 1985 to 2025, ending at #152 and #50.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Joe #48 in 1997, Sam #47 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #50 and #47 in England and Wales · Boys, 3 places apart; by 2024 they were #785 and #334.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1985–2025
Joe held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 36.
Highest recorded here: Joe #117 in 2016, Sam #38 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joe #152, Sam #50.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joe held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sam in 24.
Highest recorded here: Joe #48 in 1997, Sam #47 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joe #785, Sam #334.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joe held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sam in 26.
Highest recorded here: Joe #88 in 2017, Sam #44 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joe #202, Sam #187.
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 | Sam |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (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
- Joe and Sam 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
Sam
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #340 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1983–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1983–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #289 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys