Paul vs Yosef
Paul and Yosefcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Paul was ranked #370 and Yosef #305 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Paul was ranked #586 and Yosef #1162 among boys in England and Wales.
Paul and Yosef over time
Paul and Yosef appear together in 2 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Paul held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Yosef in 0.
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.
Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Yosef 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
Paul and Yosef changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1967 and 2024, ending at #370 and #305.
- Longest-running competitions
Paul and Yosef were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 30 years, from 1967 to 2024, ending at #370 and #305.
List by list
Norway · Boys30 shared years, 1967–2024
Paul held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Yosef in 4.
Highest recorded here: Paul #96 in 1967, Yosef #293 in 2014.
The order changed in 2023: Yosef moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #393 and #506; by 2023 that had become #478 and #317.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Paul #370, Yosef #305.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Paul held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Yosef in 0.
Highest recorded here: Paul #72 in 1996, Yosef #908 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Paul #586, Yosef #1162.
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 | Paul | Yosef |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɔːl/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) | Norway · Boys #447 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paul has a recorded origin (Latin); Yosef does not have one recorded yet.
- Paul has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Yosef.
- A meaning is recorded for Paul; Yosef doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Yosef
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #549 among boys in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #293 among boys in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1967–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #447 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys