Joel vs Nathan
Joel and Nathancompared 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 2013, Joel was ranked #79 and Nathan #37 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2010, Joel was ranked #100 and Nathan #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #278 and Nathan #62 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joel was ranked #509 and Nathan #71 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #209 and Nathan #88 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #154 and Nathan #118 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Joel was ranked #178 and Nathan #344 among boys in Norway.
Joel and Nathan over time
Joel and Nathan appear together in 6 published lists, across 188 years of shared records. Nathan held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Joel 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.
Nathan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Joel in 2. 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joel and Nathan averaged 48.5 places apart, ending at #209 and #88.
- Mirrored each other
Over 35 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Nathan rose about as far as Joel fell — from #268 and #290 in 1973 to #509 and #71 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Joel and Nathan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 35 years, from 1976 to 2010, ending at #100 and #42.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Joel #62 in 2001, Nathan #24 in 2002.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys35 shared years, 1976–2010
Joel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nathan in 35.
Highest recorded here: Joel #27 in 1987, Nathan #10 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Joel #100, Nathan #42.
Republic of Ireland · Boys35 shared years, 1973–2025
Joel held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Nathan in 34.
Highest recorded here: Joel #185 in 2005, Nathan #26 in 2012.
The order changed in 1981: Nathan moved ahead. In 1980 they stood at #268 and #290; by 1981 that had become #322 and #217.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joel #509, Nathan #71.
New Zealand · Boys33 shared years, 1980–2013
Joel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nathan in 33.
Highest recorded here: Joel #40 in 2005, Nathan #14 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Joel #79, Nathan #37.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nathan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Joel #62 in 2001, Nathan #24 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #209, Nathan #88.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Nathan in 26.
Highest recorded here: Joel #38 in 2003, Nathan #15 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #154, Nathan #118.
Norway · Boys28 shared years, 1990–2025
Joel held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Nathan in 1.
Highest recorded here: Joel #148 in 2021, Nathan #236 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joel #178, Nathan #344.
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 | Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'he gave' or 'he has given'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈneɪθən/ | |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #178 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nathan has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Joel does not have one recorded yet.
- Joel has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Nathan.
- A meaning is recorded for Nathan; Joel doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Nathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #267 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2018
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1981 (recorded 1969–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #344 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys