Joel vs Nathaniel
Joel and Nathanielcompared 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 2012, Joel was ranked #76 and Nathaniel #79 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #209 and Nathaniel #144 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #154 and Nathaniel #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Joel was ranked #178 and Nathaniel #170 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #278 and Nathaniel #191 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joel was ranked #509 and Nathaniel #223 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Joel and Nathaniel over time
Joel and Nathaniel appear together in 4 published lists, across 121 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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 2024, Nathaniel moved ahead of Joel in England and Wales · Boys — #170 and #174 the year before became #209 and #144.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joel and Nathaniel changed places 11 times in Norway · Boys between 1989 and 2025, ending at #178 and #170.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joel and Nathaniel averaged 36.7 places apart, ending at #209 and #144.
- Longest-running competitions
Joel and Nathaniel were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 34 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #178 and #170.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Joel #62 in 2001, Nathaniel #114 in 1999.
List by list
Norway · Boys34 shared years, 1989–2025
Joel held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Nathaniel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Joel #148 in 2021, Nathaniel #109 in 2012.
The order changed in 2025: Nathaniel moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #176 and #234; by 2025 that had become #178 and #170.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joel #178, Nathaniel #170.
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1986–2025
Joel held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Nathaniel in 16.
Highest recorded here: Joel #185 in 2005, Nathaniel #219 in 2020.
The order changed in 2015: Nathaniel moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #314 and #325; by 2015 that had become #355 and #280.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joel #509, Nathaniel #223.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Nathaniel in 5.
Highest recorded here: Joel #62 in 2001, Nathaniel #114 in 1999.
The order changed in 2024: Nathaniel moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #170 and #174; by 2024 that had become #209 and #144.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #209, Nathaniel #144.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Nathaniel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joel #38 in 2003, Nathaniel #188 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #154, Nathaniel #278.
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 | Nathaniel |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| 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) | Norway · Boys #170 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joel has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Nathaniel.
- 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
Nathaniel
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #326 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2014
Highest recorded position: #79 among boys in New Zealand, in 2012 (recorded 2003–2014).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #170 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys