Joshua vs Oliver
Joshua and Olivercompared 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 Oliver #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Oliver #2 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Oliver #5 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Oliver #6 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Oliver #7 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Oliver #10 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Oliver #18 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Joshua and Oliver over time
Joshua and Oliver appear together in 6 published lists, across 226 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 5 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, Oliver 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 2007, Oliver moved ahead of Joshua in England and Wales · Boys — #3 and #4 the year before became #4 and #3.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joshua and Oliver changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #63 and #10.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Oliver averaged 15.1 places apart, ending at #53 and #6.
- Longest-running competitions
Joshua and Oliver were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #53 and #6.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Oliver in 24.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Oliver #14 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Oliver #18.
Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1973–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Oliver in 44.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Oliver #1 in 2018.
The order changed in 1980: Oliver moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #548 and #558; by 1980 that had become #540 and #439.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Oliver #5.
New Zealand · Boys40 shared years, 1983–2023
Joshua held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Oliver in 14.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Oliver #1 in 2013.
The order changed in 2012: Oliver moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #2 and #3; by 2012 that had become #16 and #2.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, Oliver #2.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys36 shared years, 1989–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Oliver in 15.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1993, Oliver #1 in 2014.
The order changed in 2010: Oliver moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #5 and #7; by 2010 that had become #4 and #3.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #76, Oliver #2.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Oliver in 19.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Oliver #1 in 2009.
The order changed in 2007: Oliver moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #3 and #4; by 2007 that had become #4 and #3.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Oliver #6.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Oliver in 13.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Oliver #3 in 2016.
The order changed in 2013: Oliver moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #13 and #14; by 2013 that had become #15 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Oliver #10.
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 | Oliver |
|---|---|---|
| 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 'olive tree', though the true root is debated. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Old French |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ | /ˈɒlɪvər/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Ollie, Olivier, Oliviero |
| 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 | England and Wales · Boys #53 (2025) | United Kingdom #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| 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 Oliver is recorded with a Old French origin.
- Joshua has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Oliver.
- Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Oliver'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 #53 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Oliver
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #478 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2009 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys