Arthur vs Luca
Arthur and Lucacompared 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, Arthur was ranked #11 and Luca #3 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #4 and Luca #7 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #19 and Luca #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Luca #6 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Luca #7 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Luca #11 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and Luca #60 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Luca over time
Arthur and Luca appear together in 6 published lists, across 135 years of shared records. Luca held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Arthur in 2.
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.
Arthur reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Luca 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 2023, Luca moved ahead of Arthur in Norway · Boys — #81 and #92 the year before became #86 and #64.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Arthur and Luca changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2004 and 2024, ending at #16 and #7.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Arthur and Luca averaged 32.8 places apart, ending at #4 and #7.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Luca were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 37 years, from 1974 to 2025, ending at #83 and #60.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #11 in 2023, Luca #3 in 2023.
List by list
Norway · Boys37 shared years, 1974–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Luca in 9.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, Luca #60 in 2025.
The order changed in 2023: Luca moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #81 and #92; by 2023 that had become #86 and #64.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, Luca #60.
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Luca in 23.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Luca #11 in 2025.
The order changed in 2019: Luca moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #73 and #77; by 2019 that had become #80 and #59.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Luca #11.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Luca in 12.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Luca #7 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Luca #7.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Luca in 12.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Luca #7 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Luca #7.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Luca in 10.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #11 in 2023, Luca #3 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Arthur #11, Luca #3.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys9 shared years, 2017–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Luca in 9.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #18 in 2024, Luca #4 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #19, Luca #4.
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 | Arthur | Luca |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | The Italian and Romanian form of Lucas, itself probably a shortened form of the Greek 'Loukanos', meaning 'from Lucania' (a region of southern Italy). |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | Italian, via Greek Loukas |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | /ˈluːkə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin, while Luca is recorded with a Italian, via Greek Loukas origin.
- Arthur and Luca both have 2 syllables.
- Arthur's recorded meaning differs from Luca's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Luca a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Arthur
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #153 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Luca
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #603 among boys in Norway in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2004–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2004–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys