Joshua vs Max
Joshua and Maxcompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #76 and Max #27 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Max #29 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Max #29 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Max #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Max #41 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #50 and Max #44 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Max #72 among boys in Norway.
Joshua and Max over time
Joshua and Max appear together in 6 published lists, across 203 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Max in 1.
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 6 of those lists, and Max 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Max moved into the top 50 at #30 in 2024 as Joshua fell out of it to #63, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Max moved ahead of Joshua in England and Wales · Boys — #40 and #44 the year before became #50 and #44.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joshua and Max changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1973 and 2025, ending at #405 and #72.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Max averaged 21.2 places apart, ending at #50 and #44.
- Longest-running competitions
Joshua and Max were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 32 years, from 1992 to 2024, ending at #76 and #27.
List by list
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1973–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Max in 39.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Max #60 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Max #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1986–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Max in 13.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Max #27 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Max #41.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys32 shared years, 1992–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Max in 8.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1994, Max #13 in 2014.
The order changed in 2018: Max moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #26 and #32; by 2018 that had become #34 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #76, Max #27.
New Zealand · Boys31 shared years, 1992–2023
Joshua held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Max in 11.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Max #10 in 2016.
The order changed in 2013: Max moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #16 and #17; by 2013 that had become #17 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, Max #29.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Max in 1.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Max #18 in 2012.
The order changed in 2024: Max moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #40 and #44; by 2024 that had become #50 and #44.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #50, Max #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Max in 2.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Max #22 in 2015.
The order changed in 2024: Max moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #46 and #47; by 2024 that had become #63 and #30.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Max #30.
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 | Max |
|---|---|---|
| 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 of Maximilian or Maxim, ultimately from Latin 'maximus' (greatest). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ | /ˈmæks/ |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #30 (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 Max is recorded with a Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim origin.
- Joshua has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Max.
- Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Max'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
Max
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #359 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1992–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2016 (recorded 1992–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys