Namewise

Joshua vs Thomas

Joshua and Thomascompared 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #76 and Thomas #12 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Thomas #18 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Thomas #35 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Thomas #106 among boys in Norway.

Joshua and Thomas over time

Joshua and Thomas appear together in 6 published lists, across 254 years of shared records. Thomas held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Joshua in 2.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.

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.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Joshua and Thomas changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2025, ending at #53 and #35.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Thomas averaged 5.8 places apart, ending at #53 and #35.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 47 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Joshua rose about as far as Thomas fell — from #288 and #8 in 1974 to #81 and #16 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Joshua and Thomas were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #53 and #35.

List by list

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys54 shared years, 1971–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Thomas in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1993, Thomas #3 in 2000.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #76, Thomas #12.

  • New Zealand · Boys50 shared years, 1974–2023

    Joshua held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Thomas in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Thomas #4 in 2001.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, Thomas #18.

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

    Joshua held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 47.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Thomas #8 in 1974.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Thomas #16.

  • Norway · Boys45 shared years, 1973–2025

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

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Thomas #1 in 1980.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Thomas #106.

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

    Joshua held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Thomas in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Thomas #2 in 1998.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Thomas #35.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Thomas in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Thomas #6 in 2020.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Thomas #11.

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 Thomas

Pairs where Thomas 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 — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales 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, Thomas
FieldJoshuaThomas
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.The Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'.
OriginBiblical HebrewAramaic, via Greek
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə//ˈtɑməs/
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 #13 (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 Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
  • Joshua and Thomas both have 2 syllables.
  • Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Thomas'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

Thomas

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #177 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1974 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #35 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys