Namewise

Joseph vs Joshua

Joseph and Joshuacompared 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joseph was ranked #34 and Joshua #63 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Joseph was ranked #45 and Joshua #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Joseph was ranked #56 and Joshua #50 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joseph was ranked #82 and Joshua #60 among boys in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joseph was ranked #64 and Joshua #81 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Joseph was ranked #69 and Joshua #67 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joseph was ranked #465 and Joshua #405 among boys in Norway.

Joseph and Joshua over time

Joseph and Joshua appear together in 6 published lists, across 251 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Joseph in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Joseph reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Joshua 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.

  • One took the other's place near the top

    In Northern Ireland · Boys, Joseph moved into the top 50 at #34 in 2024 as Joshua fell out of it to #63, having been #46 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2024, Joseph moved ahead of Joshua in Northern Ireland · Boys — #76 and #46 the year before became #34 and #63.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Joseph and Joshua changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1971 and 2024, ending at #45 and #76.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joseph and Joshua averaged 8.2 places apart, ending at #56 and #50.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Joseph and Joshua were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 54 years, from 1971 to 2024, ending at #45 and #76.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Joseph #7 in 2000, Joshua #2 in 2002.

List by list

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys54 shared years, 1971–2024

    Joseph held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Joshua in 48.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #32 in 2005, Joshua #1 in 1993.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #45, Joshua #76.

  • New Zealand · Boys50 shared years, 1974–2023

    Joseph held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Joshua in 43.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #18 in 1988, Joshua #1 in 1995.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Joseph #69, Joshua #67.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025

    Joseph held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Joshua in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #16 in 1974, Joshua #17 in 2003.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #64, Joshua #81.

  • Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1973–2025

    Joseph held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Joshua in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #272 in 1985, Joshua #278 in 1996.

    The order changed in 2020: Joshua moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #335 and #336; by 2020 that had become #457 and #428.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #465, Joshua #405.

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Joseph held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Joshua in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #7 in 2000, Joshua #2 in 2002.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #56, Joshua #50.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Joseph held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Joshua in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #22 in 2013, Joshua #6 in 2002.

    The order changed in 2024: Joseph moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #76 and #46; by 2024 that had become #34 and #63.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #34, Joshua #63.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Joseph

Pairs where Joseph shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Joshua

Pairs where Joshua shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Joseph, Joshua
FieldJosephJoshua
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedFrom Hebrew Yehoshua, combining 'yeho' (referring to God) with 'yasha' ('to save') — 'Yahweh is salvation'. Joshua succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelites in the Old Testament.
OriginNot yet recordedBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Joshua has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Joseph does not have one recorded yet.
  • Joseph and Joshua both have 2 syllables.
  • A meaning is recorded for Joshua; Joseph 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

Joseph

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #33 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Joshua

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1971

    First recorded at #77 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1971–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1971–2024).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #405 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys