Namewise

Joshua vs Mason

Joshua and Masoncompared 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.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Mason #25 among boys in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Mason #26 among boys in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Mason #77 among boys in England and Wales.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #76 and Mason #54 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Mason #61 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Mason #75 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Joshua and Mason over time

Joshua and Mason appear together in 5 published lists, across 126 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Mason in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 3 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, and Mason 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 2017, Mason moved ahead of Joshua in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #19 and #21 the year before became #26 and #19.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Joshua and Mason changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2024, ending at #63 and #61.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Mason averaged 46.9 places apart, ending at #53 and #77.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Joshua and Mason were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #53 and #77.

List by list

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Mason #27 in 2013.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Mason #77.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Mason in 5.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Mason #15 in 2013.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Mason #61.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1993–2025

    Joshua held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Mason in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #22 in 2004, Mason #32 in 2022.

    The order changed in 2019: Mason moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #52 and #53; by 2019 that had become #54 and #46.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Mason #75.

  • New Zealand · Boys24 shared years, 2000–2023

    Joshua held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Mason in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 2000, Mason #4 in 2014.

    The order changed in 2012: Mason moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #2 and #15; by 2012 that had become #16 and #5.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, Mason #26.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Mason in 8.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2003, Mason #14 in 2018.

    The order changed in 2017: Mason moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #19 and #21; by 2017 that had become #26 and #19.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #76, Mason #54.

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 Mason

Pairs where Mason 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, Mason
FieldJoshuaMason
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.Originally an occupational surname/vocabulary word meaning 'stoneworker', later adopted as a given name. The deeper root of the word itself is disputed among etymologists — a Germanic (Frankish) origin versus an alternative Medieval Latin source.
OriginBiblical HebrewEnglish surname, from Old French masson/macon
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə//ˈmeɪsən/
Syllables22
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, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #53 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #56 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Joshua is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Mason is recorded with a English surname, from Old French masson/macon origin.
  • Joshua and Mason both have 2 syllables.
  • Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Mason's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, 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

Mason

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1993

    First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2000–2023

    Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 2000–2023).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #77 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys