Joseph vs Ross
Joseph and Rosscompared 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 1985, Joseph was ranked #22 and Ross #96 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1983, Joseph was ranked #45 and Ross #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #56 and Ross #3254 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #64 and Ross #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Joseph was ranked #76 and Ross #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #82 and Ross #307 among boys in Scotland.
Joseph and Ross over time
Joseph and Ross appear together in 5 published lists, across 175 years of shared records. Joseph held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Ross in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ross reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Joseph 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1964, Joseph moved ahead of Ross in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #57 and #51 the year before became #55 and #57.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Joseph and Ross averaged 24.2 places apart, ending at #45 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
Joseph and Ross were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 30 years, from 1954 to 1985, ending at #22 and #96.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #36 and #30 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2023 they were #76 and #395.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1964–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Ross in 1.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #11 in 1964, Ross #39 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #64, Ross #329.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1954–1985
Joseph held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Ross in 18.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #22 in 1985, Ross #25 in 1957.
The order changed in 1972: Joseph moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #64 and #58; by 1972 that had become #54 and #68.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Joseph #22, Ross #96.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Ross in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #7 in 2000, Ross #60 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #56, Ross #3254.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys28 shared years, 1952–1983
Joseph held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Ross in 12.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #41 in 1978, Ross #34 in 1958.
The order changed in 1964: Joseph moved ahead. In 1963 they stood at #57 and #51; by 1964 that had become #55 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 1983: Joseph #45, Ross #86.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2023
Joseph held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Ross in 3.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #22 in 2013, Ross #30 in 1997.
The order changed in 2000: Joseph moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #44 and #37; by 2000 that had become #34 and #42.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Joseph #76, Ross #395.
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 | Ross |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #329 (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 Ross.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
Ross
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #36 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1985
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in New Zealand, in 1957 (recorded 1954–1985).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys