Joshua vs Rhys
Joshua and Rhyscompared 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 2003, Joshua was ranked #1 and Rhys #96 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2009, Joshua was ranked #5 and Rhys #99 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #50 and Rhys #355 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Rhys #218 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Rhys #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Rhys #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Joshua and Rhys over time
Joshua and Rhys appear together in 5 published lists, across 130 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Rhys in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Joshua reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Rhys in 2. 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Joshua and Rhys were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 36 years, from 1988 to 2025, ending at #81 and #179.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Joshua #1 in 1993, Rhys #49 in 1991.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1988–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Rhys in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Rhys #65 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Rhys #179.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Rhys in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Rhys #49 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #50, Rhys #355.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Rhys in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Rhys #25 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Rhys #305.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys22 shared years, 1984–2009
Joshua held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Rhys in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1993, Rhys #49 in 1991.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Joshua #5, Rhys #99.
New Zealand · Boys15 shared years, 1975–2003
Joshua held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Rhys in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Rhys #74 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2003: Joshua #1, Rhys #96.
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 | Rhys |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Behind the Name hedges the meaning with 'probably' — possibly derived from a root meaning 'ardour' or 'enthusiasm'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Welsh, from Old Welsh Ris |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ | /riːs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #179 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| 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 Rhys is recorded with a Welsh, from Old Welsh Ris origin.
- Joshua has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Rhys.
- Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Rhys's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, 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
Rhys
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #85 among boys in New Zealand in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys