Josh

maleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Josh: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Josh: Recorded since 1989, it reached #38 in 2005, and it stood at #188 in 2025.

5registrars recorded it
95times a registrar ranked it
37years from first to last
#38highest recorded position
22groupings it qualifies for

What stands out in Josh's record

Moved 112 places between two consecutive years — its largest recorded change. Names by largest single-year move

Region

Falling

among boys in England and Wales · 1996–2024

View as table

England and Wales · Boys rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#94
1997	#89
1998	#86
1999	#101
2000	#108
2001	#90
2002	#84
2003	#93
2004	#100
2005	#113
2006	#116
2007	#136
2008	#143
2009	#160
2010	#193
2011	#201
2012	#243
2013	#260
2014	#264
2015	#348
2016	#343
2017	#414
2018	#454
2019	#597
2020	#509
2021	#598
2022	#731
2023	#791
2024	#857

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Boys

Recorded in official data among boys in Republic of Ireland in 36 of the 37 years from 1989 to 2025.

In 2024: #158 among boys in Republic of Ireland, #177 among boys in Northern Ireland, #218 among boys in Scotland, #857 among boys in England and Wales.

Official data from 5 national registrars across 5 regions, 1989–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1989
First recorded at #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2005 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys

Josh appears in 3 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Boys, which has ranked it in 36 years beginning in 1989, and has registered 2,376 births with the name.

Josh across 3 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Josh's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#278 (1989)	#56 (2003)	#188 (2025)	36 of 37	2,376 (1989–2025)	142 (2005)
England and Wales · Boys	#94 (1996)	#84 (2002)	#857 (2024)	29 of 29	9,152 (1996–2024)	657 (2002)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#104 (1997)	#38 (2005)	#177 (2024)	28 of 28	938 (1997–2024)	74 (2005)

Josh by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Josh in Republic of Ireland · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1980s	4	1 of 10	4
1990s	156	9 of 10	17
2000sbusiest	1,118	10 of 10	112
2010s	852	10 of 10	85
2020s	246	6 of 10	41

Across Republic of Ireland · Boys, the 2000s were its busiest decade, averaging 112 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 2001 and 2002, when recorded births rose by 39, from 70 to 109.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Josh appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1989 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #38 in Northern Ireland in 2005.

Josh's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	male	#857	37	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	male	#791	41	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	male	#731	45	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	male	#598	63	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	male	#509	74	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	male	#597	62	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	male	#454	90	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	male	#414	106	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	male	#343	137	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	male	#348	132	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	male	#264	185	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	male	#260	186	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	male	#243	204	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	male	#201	261	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	male	#193	272	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	male	#160	348	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	male	#143	394	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	male	#136	401	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	male	#116	481	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	male	#113	493	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	male	#100	561	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	male	#93	598	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	male	#84	657	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	male	#90	567	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	male	#108	430	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	male	#101	492	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	male	#86	645	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	male	#89	595	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	male	#94	595	High	Verified
2000	New Zealand	male	#87	56	High	Verified
2024	Northern Ireland	male	#177	12	High	Verified
2023	Northern Ireland	male	#221	9	High	Verified
2022	Northern Ireland	male	#234	8	High	Verified
2021	Northern Ireland	male	#176	13	High	Verified
2020	Northern Ireland	male	#152	15	High	Verified
2019	Northern Ireland	male	#146	17	High	Verified
2018	Northern Ireland	male	#135	18	High	Verified
2017	Northern Ireland	male	#124	22	High	Verified
2016	Northern Ireland	male	#102	30	High	Verified
2015	Northern Ireland	male	#93	33	High	Verified
2014	Northern Ireland	male	#90	35	High	Verified
2013	Northern Ireland	male	#88	36	High	Verified
2012	Northern Ireland	male	#84	40	High	Verified
2011	Northern Ireland	male	#90	34	High	Verified
2010	Northern Ireland	male	#85	40	High	Verified
2009	Northern Ireland	male	#59	60	High	Verified
2008	Northern Ireland	male	#74	53	High	Verified
2007	Northern Ireland	male	#76	42	High	Verified
2006	Northern Ireland	male	#76	42	High	Verified
2005	Northern Ireland	male	#38	74	High	Verified
2004	Northern Ireland	male	#68	46	High	Verified
2003	Northern Ireland	male	#64	48	High	Verified
2002	Northern Ireland	male	#54	53	High	Verified
2001	Northern Ireland	male	#61	50	High	Verified
2000	Northern Ireland	male	#93	28	High	Verified
1999	Northern Ireland	male	#82	33	High	Verified
1998	Northern Ireland	male	#97	25	High	Verified
1997	Northern Ireland	male	#104	22	High	Verified
2025	Republic of Ireland	male	#188	25	High	Verified
2024	Republic of Ireland	male	#158	32	High	Verified
2023	Republic of Ireland	male	#107	54	High	Verified
2022	Republic of Ireland	male	#142	42	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	male	#139	45	High	Verified
2020	Republic of Ireland	male	#125	48	High	Verified
2019	Republic of Ireland	male	#96	69	High	Verified
2018	Republic of Ireland	male	#105	63	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	male	#110	59	High	Verified
2016	Republic of Ireland	male	#78	88	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	male	#93	78	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	male	#84	94	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	male	#90	83	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	male	#78	103	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	male	#77	99	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	male	#69	116	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	male	#65	133	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	male	#75	114	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	male	#63	126	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	male	#67	114	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	male	#56	142	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	male	#58	134	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	male	#56	118	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	male	#62	109	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	male	#81	70	High	Verified
2000	Republic of Ireland	male	#89	58	High	Verified
1999	Republic of Ireland	male	#102	46	High	Verified
1998	Republic of Ireland	male	#114	35	High	Verified
1997	Republic of Ireland	male	#139	29	High	Verified
1996	Republic of Ireland	male	#208	11	High	Verified
1995	Republic of Ireland	male	#206	11	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	male	#208	9	High	Verified
1993	Republic of Ireland	male	#255	6	High	Verified
1992	Republic of Ireland	male	#267	5	High	Verified
1990	Republic of Ireland	male	#286	4	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	male	#278	4	High	Verified
2024	Scotland	male	#218	19	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
New Zealand hub — collected by NZ Department of Internal Affairs
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland
Scotland hub — collected by National Records of Scotland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 5 registrars between 1989 and 2025, ranked in 36 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #38, first reached in 2005.

It held a top-100 place in 22 years, 21 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 657 births, registered in England and Wales in 2002.

Its record falls into 2 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 1 year.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 35 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Josephina · #2868, 13y
Josephine · #25, 71y
Joshan · #1190, 28y
Joshua · #1, 55y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 5 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Reece · #38, 37y
Mabel · #37, 31y
Katelyn · #35, 36y
Nikita · #34, 41y

Also first recorded in the 1980s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1980 and 1989.

Reece · #38, 37y
Cody · #37, 39y
Beth · #40, 34y
Mille · #40, 35y

Josh was ranked #38 in Northern Ireland · Boys in 2005. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Josh and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Josh without appearing here.

Josh moved ahead of

Scott Compare
In 2023 they stood at #791 and #691 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2024 that had become #857 and #1025.
Oisin Compare
In 2017 they stood at #110 and #11 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2018 that had become #105 and #247.
Graeme Compare
In 1995 they stood at #206 and #168 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 1996 that had become #208 and #336.
Jonathan Compare
In 2023 they stood at #221 and #200 in Northern Ireland · Boys; by 2024 that had become #177 and #305.

Moved ahead of Josh

Justin Compare
In 2021 they stood at #598 and #682 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2022 that had become #731 and #540.
Fionn Compare
In 2021 they stood at #598 and #610 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2022 that had become #731 and #555.
Oisin Compare
In 2020 they stood at #509 and #766 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2021 that had become #598 and #433.
Andreas Compare
In 2021 they stood at #598 and #632 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2022 that had become #731 and #571.

Moved the opposite way to Josh

Gary Compare
Between 1989 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Josh went from #278 to #158 while Gary went from #34 to #785.
Kenneth Compare
Between 1989 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Josh went from #278 to #158 while Kenneth went from #70 to #785.
Phillip Compare
Between 1989 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Josh went from #278 to #158 while Phillip went from #190 to #785.
Craig Compare
Between 1989 and 2023 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Josh went from #278 to #107 while Craig went from #54 to #516.

Moved the same way as Josh

Aaron Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Josh went from #94 to #857 and Aaron from #33 to #154.
Adam Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Josh went from #94 to #857 and Adam from #16 to #35.
Alan Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Josh went from #94 to #857 and Alan from #163 to #592.
Alex Compare
Between 1996 and 2024 in England and Wales · Boys, Josh went from #94 to #857 and Alex from #43 to #171.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1989 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #38 in Northern Ireland in 2005. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Josh

Josh at a glance

What stands out in Josh's record

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Josh across 3 official records

Josh by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Josh appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1980s

Names published alongside Josh

Josh and the names beside it

Josh moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Josh

Moved the opposite way to Josh

Moved the same way as Josh

Josh at a glance

What stands out in Josh's record

Josh across 3 official records

Josh by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Josh appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1980s

Names published alongside Josh

Josh and the names beside it

Josh moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Josh

Moved the opposite way to Josh

Moved the same way as Josh