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 2024, Joshua was ranked #50 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 252 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 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Michael averaged 39.2 places apart, ending at #50 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
Joshua and Michael were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 54 years, from 1971 to 2024, ending at #76 and #89.
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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 29 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, 2024: Joshua #50, 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.
Side by side
| Field | Joshua | Michael |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ | /ˈmaɪkəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #22 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
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
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
Michael
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys