Joel vs Keegan
Joel and Keegancompared 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 · Boys
In 2001, Joel was ranked #73 and Keegan #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #154 and Keegan #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #209 and Keegan #773 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #278 and Keegan #478 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joel was ranked #509 and Keegan #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1996, Joel was ranked #3795 and Keegan #2683 among girls in England and Wales.
Joel and Keegan over time
Joel and Keegan appear together in 3 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Joel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Keegan in 1.
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.
Joel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Keegan 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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Keegan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joel #62 in 2001, Keegan #306 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #209, Keegan #773.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2007–2025
Joel held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Keegan in 10.
Highest recorded here: Joel #226 in 2007, Keegan #168 in 2020.
The order changed in 2017: Keegan moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #298 and #412; by 2017 that had become #356 and #281.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joel #509, Keegan #348.
Northern Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 2005–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Keegan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joel #50 in 2010, Keegan #185 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #154, Keegan #305.
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 | Joel | Keegan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #178 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joel has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Keegan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Joel
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #523 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1976–2010
Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1987 (recorded 1976–2010).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #178 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Keegan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2683 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2001
Highest recorded position: #70 among boys in New Zealand, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2001).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys