Namewise

Josephine vs Mary

Josephine and Marycompared 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 · Girls

    In 1988, Josephine was ranked #100 and Mary #92 among girls in New Zealand.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Josephine was ranked #483 and Mary #112 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2017, Josephine was ranked #355 and Mary #122 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 2025, Josephine was ranked #241 and Mary #518 among girls in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Josephine was ranked #267 and Mary #337 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Josephine was ranked #295 and Mary #315 among girls in Scotland.

Josephine and Mary over time

Josephine and Mary appear together in 4 published lists, across 160 years of shared records. Mary held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Josephine in 0.

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.

Mary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Josephine in none. 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

    Josephine and Mary changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #267 and #337.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Josephine and Mary averaged 43.3 places apart, ending at #267 and #337.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Josephine and Mary were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 57 years, from 1951 to 2025, ending at #241 and #518.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Josephine #168 in 1997, Mary #118 in 1997.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Josephine held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mary in 62.

    Highest recorded here: Josephine #25 in 1964, Mary #1 in 1964.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Josephine #483, Mary #112.

  • Norway · Girls57 shared years, 1951–2025

    Josephine held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Mary in 43.

    Highest recorded here: Josephine #241 in 2025, Mary #76 in 1951.

    The order changed in 2016: Josephine moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #436 and #378; by 2016 that had become #253 and #365.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Josephine #241, Mary #518.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Josephine held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Mary in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Josephine #168 in 1997, Mary #118 in 1997.

    The order changed in 2017: Josephine moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #253 and #250; by 2017 that had become #245 and #320.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Josephine #267, Mary #337.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1997–2017

    Josephine held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mary in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Josephine #229 in 1998, Mary #53 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Josephine #355, Mary #122.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Josephine

Pairs where Josephine shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Mary

Pairs where Mary shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from Republic of Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Republic of Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Republic of Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Josephine, Mary
FieldJosephineMary
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables42
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #241 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)70/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Josephine has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Mary.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Josephine

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1951

    First recorded at #367 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #241 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls

Mary

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #67 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #518 among girls in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Girls