Joseph vs Kai
Joseph and Kaicompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #33 and Kai #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #34 and Kai #69 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #64 and Kai #34 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #56 and Kai #72 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #82 and Kai #56 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #465 and Kai #282 among boys in Norway.
Joseph and Kai over time
Joseph and Kai appear together in 5 published lists, across 176 years of shared records. Joseph held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Kai 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, Kai 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kai moved into the top 50 at #33 in 2022 as Joseph fell out of it to #62, having been #48 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Kai moved ahead of Joseph in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #49 and #50 the year before became #44 and #29.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joseph and Kai changed places 8 times in Norway · Boys between 1949 and 2025, ending at #465 and #282.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joseph and Kai averaged 58.6 places apart, ending at #56 and #72.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kai rose about as far as Joseph fell — from #33 and #382 in 1997 to #64 and #34 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Joseph and Kai were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 69 years, from 1949 to 2025, ending at #465 and #282.
List by list
Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1949–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Kai in 64.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #272 in 1985, Kai #57 in 1976.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #465, Kai #282.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Kai in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #7 in 2000, Kai #56 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #56, Kai #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Kai in 5.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #31 in 1999, Kai #30 in 2024.
The order changed in 2022: Kai moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #48 and #51; by 2022 that had become #62 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #64, Kai #34.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Kai in 1.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #22 in 2013, Kai #52 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #34, Kai #69.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys23 shared years, 2002–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Kai in 6.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #32 in 2005, Kai #20 in 2023.
The order changed in 2021: Kai moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #49 and #50; by 2021 that had become #44 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #33, Kai #23.
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 | Kai |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (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 Kai.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Kai
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #76 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2002–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys