Joseph vs Samuel
Joseph and Samuelcompared 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 Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #34 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Joseph was ranked #69 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #56 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #64 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #82 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #465 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
Joseph and Samuel over time
Joseph and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 291 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Joseph in 2.
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, Samuel 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 New Zealand · Boys, Samuel moved into the top 50 at #48 in 2022 as Joseph fell out of it to #61, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2022, Samuel moved ahead of Joseph in New Zealand · Boys — #46 and #50 the year before became #61 and #48.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joseph and Samuel changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #56 and #60.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joseph and Samuel averaged 3.4 places apart, ending at #56 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Joseph and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 53 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #33 and #38.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Joseph #32 in 2005, Samuel #10 in 2003.
List by list
Norway · Boys65 shared years, 1954–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Samuel in 55.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #272 in 1985, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 1974: Samuel moved ahead. In 1973 they stood at #444 and #523; by 1974 that had become #564 and #326.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #465, Samuel #75.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Samuel in 6.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #11 in 1964, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #64, Samuel #76.
New Zealand · Boys54 shared years, 1967–2023
Joseph held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Samuel in 45.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #18 in 1988, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order changed in 2022: Samuel moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #46 and #50; by 2022 that had become #61 and #48.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Joseph #69, Samuel #50.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys53 shared years, 1972–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Samuel in 39.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #32 in 2005, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #33, Samuel #38.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Samuel in 15.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #7 in 2000, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #56, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Samuel in 8.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #22 in 2013, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #34, Samuel #64.
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 | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samuel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel); Joseph does not have one recorded yet.
- Joseph and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; 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
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
Samuel
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #339 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys