Joseph vs Sean
Joseph and Seancompared 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 2007, Joseph was ranked #30 and Sean #83 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #34 and Sean #48 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2007, Joseph was ranked #41 and Sean #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #56 and Sean #638 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joseph was ranked #64 and Sean #141 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joseph was ranked #82 and Sean #234 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2022, Joseph was ranked #448 and Sean #496 among boys in Norway.
Joseph and Sean over time
Joseph and Sean appear together in 6 published lists, across 253 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.
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 2024, Joseph moved ahead of Sean in Northern Ireland · Boys — #76 and #52 the year before became #34 and #48.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joseph and Sean changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1963 and 2007, ending at #41 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 44 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Joseph and Sean averaged 17.5 places apart, ending at #41 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
Joseph and Sean were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 44 years, from 1963 to 2007, ending at #41 and #85.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Joseph held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Sean in 36.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #11 in 1964, Sean #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #64, Sean #141.
New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1963–2007
Joseph held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Sean in 6.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #18 in 1988, Sean #28 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Joseph #30, Sean #83.
Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1965–2022
Joseph held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sean in 24.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #272 in 1985, Sean #195 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Joseph #448, Sean #496.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys44 shared years, 1963–2007
Joseph held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Sean in 11.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #32 in 2005, Sean #29 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Joseph #41, Sean #85.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sean in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #7 in 2000, Sean #49 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #56, Sean #638.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sean in 17.
Highest recorded here: Joseph #22 in 2013, Sean #13 in 2001.
The order changed in 2024: Joseph moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #76 and #52; by 2024 that had become #34 and #48.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #34, Sean #48.
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 | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John |
| Pronunciation | /ʃɔːn/ | |
| 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 #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sean has a recorded origin (Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John); Joseph does not have one recorded yet.
- Joseph has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sean.
- A meaning is recorded for Sean; 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
Sean
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #82 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #141 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys