Namewise

Joshua vs Michael

Joshua and Michaelcompared 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.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Michael #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Michael #85 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Michael #66 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Michael #66 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2022, Joshua was ranked #68 and Michael #95 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #76 and Michael #89 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Michael #195 among boys in Norway.

Joshua and Michael over time

Joshua and Michael appear together in 6 published lists, across 253 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Michael in 2.

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.

Michael reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Joshua 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 2024, Joshua moved ahead of Michael in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #93 and #82 the year before became #76 and #89.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Joshua and Michael changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #63 and #66.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Michael averaged 38.9 places apart, ending at #53 and #85.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Joshua and Michael were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #53 and #85.

List by list

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys54 shared years, 1971–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Michael in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1993, Michael #1 in 1974.

    The order changed in 2024: Joshua moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #93 and #82; by 2024 that had become #76 and #89.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #76, Michael #89.

  • New Zealand · Boys49 shared years, 1974–2022

    Joshua held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Michael in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Michael #1 in 1974.

    The order changed in 1994: Joshua moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #6 and #4; by 1994 that had become #3 and #6.

    Most recent shared year, 2022: Joshua #68, Michael #95.

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

    Joshua held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 47.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Michael #2 in 1974.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Michael #22.

  • Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1973–2025

    Joshua held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 45.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Michael #48 in 1990.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Michael #195.

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Michael #22 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Michael #85.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Michael in 7.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Michael #7 in 1997.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Michael #66.

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 Michael

Pairs where Michael 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, Michael
FieldJoshuaMichael
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.Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God.
OriginBiblical HebrewBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə//ˈmaɪkəl/
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, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #53 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #22 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Both Joshua and Michael share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
  • Joshua and Michael both have 2 syllables.
  • Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Michael'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

Michael

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #259 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1952–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1952–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #85 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys