Josef vs Louis
Josef and Louiscompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Josef was ranked #1798 and Louis #49 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2002, Josef was ranked #281 and Louis #116 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Josef was ranked #422 and Louis #122 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Josef was ranked #236 and Louis #295 among boys in Norway.
Josef and Louis over time
Josef and Louis appear together in 2 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Josef reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Louis 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
Josef and Louis changed places 10 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2025, ending at #236 and #295.
- Longest-running competitions
Josef and Louis were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1798 and #49.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Josef #189 in 2021, Louis #185 in 2023.
List by list
Norway · Boys39 shared years, 1946–2025
Josef held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Louis in 9.
Highest recorded here: Josef #189 in 2021, Louis #185 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Josef #236, Louis #295.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Josef held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Louis in 30.
Highest recorded here: Josef #283 in 1999, Louis #38 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Josef #1798, Louis #49.
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 | Josef | Louis |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #236 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #49 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Josef has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Louis.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Josef
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #274 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1946–2025
Highest recorded position: #189 among boys in Norway, in 2021 (recorded 1946–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1798 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Louis
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #334 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in England and Wales, in 2004 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys