Josiah vs Kenneth
Josiah and Kennethcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Josiah was ranked #226 and Kenneth #1007 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2000, Josiah was ranked #244 and Kenneth #277 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Josiah was ranked #520 and Kenneth #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Josiah was ranked #619 and Kenneth #535 among boys in Scotland.
Josiah and Kenneth over time
Josiah and Kenneth appear together in 2 published lists, across 39 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Josiah 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Josiah and Kenneth changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2025, ending at #226 and #1007.
- Longest-running competitions
Josiah and Kenneth were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #226 and #1007.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Josiah held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Kenneth in 4.
Highest recorded here: Josiah #212 in 2024, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order changed in 2003: Josiah moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #426 and #411; by 2003 that had become #320 and #633.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Josiah #226, Kenneth #1007.
Republic of Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2011–2024
Josiah held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Kenneth in 5.
Highest recorded here: Josiah #520 in 2024, Kenneth #369 in 2018.
The order changed in 2024: Josiah moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #779 and #572; by 2024 that had become #520 and #785.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Josiah #520, Kenneth #785.
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 | Josiah | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #226 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1007 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Josiah does not have one recorded yet.
- Josiah and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Josiah doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Josiah
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #588 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #226 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1007 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys