Namewise

Joshua vs Nathan

Joshua and Nathancompared 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 2018, Joshua was ranked #34 and Nathan #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #50 and Nathan #88 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Nathan #62 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Nathan #118 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Nathan #70 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Nathan #71 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Nathan #344 among boys in Norway.

Joshua and Nathan over time

Joshua and Nathan appear together in 6 published lists, across 230 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Nathan in 2.

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.

Nathan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Joshua 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 moved ahead of the other

    In 1983, Joshua moved ahead of Nathan in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #16 and #11 the year before became #11 and #12.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Joshua and Nathan changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1982 and 2025, ending at #405 and #344.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Nathan averaged 44.9 places apart, ending at #50 and #88.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Joshua and Nathan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 47 years, from 1971 to 2018, ending at #34 and #84.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Joshua #2 in 2002, Nathan #24 in 2002.

List by list

  • New Zealand · Boys50 shared years, 1974–2023

    Joshua held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Nathan in 8.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Nathan #14 in 1995.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, Nathan #70.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys47 shared years, 1971–2018

    Joshua held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Nathan in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1993, Nathan #10 in 1981.

    The order changed in 1983: Joshua moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #16 and #11; by 1983 that had become #11 and #12.

    Most recent shared year, 2018: Joshua #34, Nathan #84.

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

    Joshua held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Nathan in 33.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Nathan #26 in 1999.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Nathan #71.

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nathan in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Nathan #24 in 2002.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #50, Nathan #88.

  • Norway · Boys29 shared years, 1982–2025

    Joshua held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Nathan in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #256 in 1999, Nathan #236 in 2017.

    The order changed in 2016: Nathan moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #324 and #371; by 2016 that had become #389 and #258.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Nathan #344.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Nathan in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Nathan #15 in 2000.

    The order changed in 2000: Joshua moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #18 and #17; by 2000 that had become #13 and #15.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Nathan #118.

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 Nathan

Pairs where Nathan 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 — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

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, Nathan
FieldJoshuaNathan
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 'he gave' or 'he has given'.
OriginBiblical HebrewBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə//ˈneɪθən/
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 observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Both Joshua and Nathan share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
  • Joshua and Nathan both have 2 syllables.
  • Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Nathan'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 #405 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys

Nathan

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1968

    First recorded at #267 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1969–2018

    Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1981 (recorded 1969–2018).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #344 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys