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 2024, Joshua was ranked #50 and Liam #70 among boys in England and Wales.
Joshua and Liam over time
Joshua and Liam appear together in 6 published lists, across 219 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Liam moved into the top 50 at #42 in 2024 as Joshua fell out of it to #63, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Liam moved ahead of Joshua in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #15 and #16 the year before became #19 and #13.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joshua and Liam changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1982 and 2025, ending at #405 and #7.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Liam averaged 35.8 places apart, ending at #50 and #70.
- Longest-running competitions
Joshua and Liam were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 42 years, from 1983 to 2024, ending at #76 and #15.
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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 29 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, 2024: Joshua #50, Liam #70.
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.
Side by side
| Field | Joshua | Liam |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From 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'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Irish, short form of William (via Uilliam) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ | /ˈliːəm/ |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025) | Norway · Boys #7 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- 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
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
Highest recorded1971–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1971–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #405 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Liam
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1986–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 2010 (recorded 1986–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys