Joseph vs Josh
Joseph and Joshcompared 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 2000, Joseph was ranked #23 and Josh #87 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #34 and Josh #177 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #56 and Josh #857 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #64 and Josh #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #82 and Josh #218 among boys in Scotland.
Joseph and Josh over time
Joseph and Josh appear together in 3 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Joseph held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Josh in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Joseph reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Josh 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Joseph and Josh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 36 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #64 and #188.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Joseph #7 in 2000, Josh #84 in 2002.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1989–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Josh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #21 in 1989, Josh #56 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #64, Josh #188.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Josh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #7 in 2000, Josh #84 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #56, Josh #857.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Josh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #22 in 2013, Josh #38 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #34, Josh #177.
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 | Joseph | Josh |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 1 |
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #188 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joseph has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Josh.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Joseph
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #33 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Josh
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2005 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys