Namewise

Joshua vs Liam

Joshua and Liamcompared 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.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Liam #7 among boys in Norway.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Liam #7 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #76 and Liam #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Liam #17 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Liam #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Liam #47 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Liam #68 among boys in England and Wales.

Joshua and Liam over time

Joshua and Liam appear together in 6 published lists, across 220 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Liam in 2.

The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Joshua reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Liam 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.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025

    Joshua held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Liam in 42.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Liam #6 in 2021.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Liam #7.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys42 shared years, 1983–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Liam in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1993, Liam #6 in 2020.

    The order changed in 2016: Liam moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #15 and #16; by 2016 that had become #19 and #13.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #76, Liam #15.

  • New Zealand · Boys38 shared years, 1986–2023

    Joshua held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Liam in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Liam #1 in 2010.

    The order changed in 2010: Liam moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #4 and #7; by 2010 that had become #6 and #1.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, Liam #17.

  • Norway · Boys35 shared years, 1982–2025

    Joshua held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Liam in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Liam #3 in 2015.

    The order changed in 2002: Liam moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #284 and #345; by 2002 that had become #291 and #236.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Liam #7.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Joshua held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Liam in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Liam #10 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Liam #68.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Liam in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Liam #35 in 2008.

    The order changed in 2024: Liam moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #46 and #52; by 2024 that had become #63 and #42.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Liam #42.

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 Joshua

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

Other comparisons involving Liam

Pairs where Liam 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 — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

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

New Zealand 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 Joshua, Liam
FieldJoshuaLiam
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningFrom Hebrew Yehoshua, combining 'yeho' (referring to God) with 'yasha' ('to save') — 'Yahweh is salvation'. Joshua succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelites in the Old Testament.A short form, inheriting its meaning from William — 'resolute protection' or 'will helmet'.
OriginBiblical HebrewIrish, short form of William (via Uilliam)
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə//ˈliːəm/
Syllables21
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 observationEngland and Wales · Boys #53 (2025)Norway · Boys #7 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Joshua is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Liam is recorded with a Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) origin.
  • Joshua has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Liam.
  • Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Liam's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Joshua

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1971

    First recorded at #77 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1971–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1971–2024).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #53 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Liam

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #54 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

  2. Highest recorded1986–2023

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 2010 (recorded 1986–2023).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #68 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys