David vs Lucas
David and Lucascompared 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 2020, David was ranked #84 and Lucas #5 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Lucas #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Lucas #23 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Lucas #24 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Lucas #25 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Lucas #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Lucas #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
David and Lucas over time
David and Lucas appear together in 6 published lists, across 184 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Lucas 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 took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Boys, Lucas moved into the top 50 at #31 in 2006 as David fell out of it to #61, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Lucas moved ahead of David in England and Wales · Boys — #55 and #75 the year before became #61 and #58.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and Lucas averaged 37.6 places apart, ending at #64 and #25.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Lucas rose about as far as David fell — from #32 and #169 in 1996 to #64 and #25 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Lucas were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 44 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #88 and #24.
List by list
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1976–2025
David held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Lucas in 19.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Lucas #12 in 2012.
The order changed in 2007: Lucas moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #40 and #41; by 2007 that had become #43 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Lucas #24.
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1979–2025
David held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Lucas in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Lucas #55 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Lucas #64.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Lucas in 20.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Lucas #17 in 2009.
The order changed in 2005: Lucas moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #55 and #75; by 2005 that had become #61 and #58.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Lucas #25.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Lucas in 16.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Lucas #22 in 2013.
The order changed in 2009: Lucas moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #48 and #54; by 2009 that had become #44 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Lucas #30.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys27 shared years, 1980–2018
David held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Lucas in 13.
Highest recorded here: David #3 in 1980, Lucas #2 in 2011.
The order changed in 2005: Lucas moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #61 and #67; by 2005 that had become #71 and #52.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Lucas #7.
New Zealand · Boys20 shared years, 2001–2020
David held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Lucas in 16.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2001, Lucas #4 in 2011.
The order changed in 2006: Lucas moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #46 and #54; by 2006 that had become #61 and #31.
Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, Lucas #5.
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 | David | Lucas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | The Latin form of the Greek name Loukas, ultimately linked to the English name Luke. The deeper root meaning is itself disputed — possibly a shortened form of 'from Lucania' (a region of southern Italy), or alternatively derived from the Latin name Lucius. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin, via Greek Loukas |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈluːkəs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #14 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Lucas is recorded with a Latin, via Greek Loukas origin.
- David and Lucas both have 2 syllables.
- David's recorded meaning differs from Lucas'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
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Lucas
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #607 among boys in Norway in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1980–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys