Namewise

Joshua vs Philip

Joshua and Philipcompared 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 Zealand · Boys

    In 1992, Joshua was ranked #5 and Philip #95 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 1988, Joshua was ranked #8 and Philip #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2022, Joshua was ranked #29 and Philip #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Philip #549 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Philip #619 among boys in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Philip #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Philip #91 among boys in Norway.

Joshua and Philip over time

Joshua and Philip appear together in 6 published lists, across 183 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Philip in 1.

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.

Philip reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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 took the other's place near the top

    In New Zealand · Boys, Joshua moved into the top 50 at #28 in 1979 as Philip fell out of it to #56, having been #42 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1973, Joshua moved ahead of Philip in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #66 and #64 the year before became #59 and #66.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Joshua and Philip were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #53 and #549.

List by list

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

    Joshua held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Philip in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Philip #36 in 1980.

    The order changed in 1996: Joshua moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #72 and #52; by 1996 that had become #61 and #64.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Philip #309.

  • Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1973–2025

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

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Philip #68 in 2013.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Philip #91.

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Philip #103 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Philip #549.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2022

    Joshua held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Philip in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Philip #51 in 1997.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2022: Joshua #29, Philip #311.

  • New Zealand · Boys18 shared years, 1974–1992

    Joshua held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Philip in 5.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #4 in 1989, Philip #42 in 1978.

    The order changed in 1979: Joshua moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #51 and #42; by 1979 that had become #28 and #56.

    Most recent shared year, 1992: Joshua #5, Philip #95.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 1971–1988

    Joshua held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Philip in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #8 in 1988, Philip #64 in 1972.

    The order changed in 1973: Joshua moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #66 and #64; by 1973 that had become #59 and #66.

    Most recent shared year, 1988: Joshua #8, Philip #98.

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 Philip

Pairs where Philip 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 took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

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 1990s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1990 and 1999.

The 1990s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Joshua, Philip
FieldJoshuaPhilip
Record typeEditorially researched profileOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)
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.Not yet recorded
OriginBiblical HebrewNot yet recorded
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/Not yet recorded
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)Norway · Boys #91 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Joshua has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Philip does not have one recorded yet.
  • Joshua and Philip both have 2 syllables.
  • A meaning is recorded for Joshua; Philip doesn't have one written yet.
  • 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

Philip

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1948

    First recorded at #341 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1954–1992

    Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New Zealand, in 1963 (recorded 1954–1992).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #549 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys