Namewise

Joshua vs Samuel

Joshua and Samuelcompared 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 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #76 and Samuel #51 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Samuel #66 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Joshua and Samuel over time

Joshua and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 252 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Samuel in 1.

The order between them changed and held in one 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 6 of those lists, and Samuel 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 2015, Samuel moved ahead of Joshua in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #17 and #18 the year before became #15 and #13.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Joshua and Samuel changed places 16 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1974 and 2023, ending at #67 and #50.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Samuel averaged 9.4 places apart, ending at #53 and #66.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Joshua and Samuel were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #53 and #66.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Joshua #2 in 2002, Samuel #6 in 2004.

List by list

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys52 shared years, 1972–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Samuel in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1993, Samuel #10 in 2003.

    The order changed in 2015: Samuel moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #17 and #18; by 2015 that had become #15 and #13.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #76, Samuel #51.

  • New Zealand · Boys50 shared years, 1974–2023

    Joshua held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Samuel in 23.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Samuel #3 in 1998.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, Samuel #50.

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

    Joshua held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Samuel in 22.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Samuel #33 in 2013.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Samuel #76.

  • Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1973–2025

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

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Samuel #44 in 2019.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Samuel #75.

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Samuel #6 in 2004.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Samuel #66.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Samuel in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Samuel #25 in 2005.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Samuel #64.

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 Samuel

Pairs where Samuel 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 — repeatedly exchanged positions.

All repeatedly exchanged positions→

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, Samuel
FieldJoshuaSamuel
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.Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised.
OriginBiblical HebrewBiblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə//ˈsæmjuːəl/
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)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (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

  • Joshua is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
  • Joshua and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
  • Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Samuel'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 #53 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Samuel

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #339 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1967–2023

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #66 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys