Joseph vs Scott
Joseph and Scottcompared 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 2002, Joseph was ranked #28 and Scott #96 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #34 and Scott #239 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1999, Joseph was ranked #39 and Scott #95 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #56 and Scott #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #64 and Scott #198 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #82 and Scott #199 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #465 and Scott #365 among boys in Norway.
Joseph and Scott over time
Joseph and Scott appear together in 6 published lists, across 248 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Scott reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joseph and Scott changed places 13 times in Norway · Boys between 1957 and 2025, ending at #465 and #365.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 43 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Joseph and Scott averaged 29.6 places apart, ending at #39 and #95.
- Longest-running competitions
Joseph and Scott were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 43 years, from 1957 to 1999, ending at #39 and #95.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #36 and #38 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 2 places apart; by 2024 they were #34 and #239.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1970–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 56 of those years, Scott in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #16 in 1970, Scott #42 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #64, Scott #198.
Norway · Boys50 shared years, 1957–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Scott in 31.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #275 in 2017, Scott #213 in 2011.
The order changed in 2018: Scott moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #275 and #350; by 2018 that had become #516 and #236.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #465, Scott #365.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys43 shared years, 1957–1999
Joseph held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Scott in 33.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #34 in 1994, Scott #8 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Joseph #39, Scott #95.
New Zealand · Boys43 shared years, 1960–2002
Joseph held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Scott in 25.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #18 in 1988, Scott #12 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Joseph #28, Scott #96.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Scott in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #7 in 2000, Scott #48 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #56, Scott #1025.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Scott in 2.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #22 in 2013, Scott #36 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #34, Scott #239.
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 | Scott |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An English/Scottish surname referring to a person from Scotland or a Scottish Gaelic speaker, from Latin 'Scoti' ('Gael, Gaelic speaker') — the ultimate origin of that Latin term is itself uncertain. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English/Scottish (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈskɑt/ | |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #198 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Scott has a recorded origin (English/Scottish (surname origin)); Joseph does not have one recorded yet.
- Joseph has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Scott.
- A meaning is recorded for Scott; 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
Scott
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–1999
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1973 (recorded 1957–1999).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #365 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys