Josh vs Niall
Josh and Niallcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Josh was ranked #177 and Niall #144 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Josh was ranked #188 and Niall #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Josh was ranked #218 and Niall #246 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Josh was ranked #857 and Niall #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Josh and Niall over time
Josh and Niall appear together in 3 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Niall reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Josh 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2014, Josh moved ahead of Niall in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #90 and #88 the year before became #84 and #91.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Josh and Niall changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #177 and #144.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Josh and Niall averaged 30.7 places apart, ending at #177 and #144.
- Longest-running competitions
Josh and Niall were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 36 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #188 and #244.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1989–2025
Josh held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Niall in 18.
Highest recorded here: Josh #56 in 2003, Niall #19 in 1993.
The order changed in 2014: Josh moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #90 and #88; by 2014 that had become #84 and #91.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Josh #188, Niall #244.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Josh held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Niall in 8.
Highest recorded here: Josh #84 in 2002, Niall #106 in 1996.
The order changed in 2017: Niall moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #343 and #395; by 2017 that had become #414 and #383.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Josh #857, Niall #613.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Josh held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Niall in 24.
Highest recorded here: Josh #38 in 2005, Niall #26 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Josh #177, Niall #144.
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 | Josh | Niall |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #188 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #244 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Josh and Niall both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Josh
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2005 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Niall
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys