Joel vs Regan
Joel and Regancompared 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 2004, Joel was ranked #57 and Regan #94 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #154 and Regan #404 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #209 and Regan #945 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joel was ranked #278 and Regan #727 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joel was ranked #509 and Regan #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1996, Joel was ranked #3795 and Regan #736 among girls in England and Wales.
Joel and Regan over time
Joel and Regan appear together in 4 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Joel held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Regan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Regan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Joel in 1. 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Joel #62 in 2001, Regan #151 in 1999.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Regan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joel #62 in 2001, Regan #151 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #209, Regan #945.
Northern Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1998–2024
Joel held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Regan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joel #38 in 2003, Regan #190 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joel #154, Regan #404.
Republic of Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 2003–2025
Joel held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Regan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joel #185 in 2005, Regan #354 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joel #509, Regan #676.
New Zealand · Boys15 shared years, 1980–2004
Joel held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Regan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joel #51 in 1994, Regan #58 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Joel #57, Regan #94.
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 | Regan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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 #676 (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
- Joel has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Regan.
- 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
Regan
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #75 among boys in New Zealand in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1977–2004
Highest recorded position: #58 among boys in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1977–2004).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys