James vs Lucas
James 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #1 and Lucas #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Lucas #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #15 and Lucas #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Lucas #23 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #15 and Lucas #16 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #355 and Lucas #24 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #40 and Lucas #25 among boys in England and Wales.
James and Lucas over time
James and Lucas appear together in 6 published lists, across 196 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Lucas in 1.
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.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Lucas in 1. 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 2021, Lucas moved ahead of James in England and Wales · Boys — #24 and #25 the year before became #30 and #22.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
James and Lucas changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1980 and 2025, ending at #15 and #14.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, James and Lucas averaged 41.6 places apart, ending at #40 and #25.
- Longest-running competitions
James and Lucas were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 36 years, from 1980 to 2025, ending at #15 and #14.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — James #1 in 2015, Lucas #22 in 2013.
List by list
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1976–2025
James held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Lucas in 33.
Highest recorded here: James #220 in 1987, Lucas #12 in 2012.
The order changed in 1993: Lucas moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #290 and #380; by 1993 that had become #400 and #323.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #355, Lucas #24.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys36 shared years, 1980–2025
James held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Lucas in 12.
Highest recorded here: James #3 in 1996, Lucas #2 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #15, Lucas #14.
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1979–2025
James held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Lucas in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, Lucas #55 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Lucas #64.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
James held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Lucas in 4.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Lucas #17 in 2009.
The order changed in 2021: Lucas moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #24 and #25; by 2021 that had become #30 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #40, Lucas #25.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
James held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Lucas in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Lucas #22 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, Lucas #30.
New Zealand · Boys23 shared years, 2001–2023
James held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lucas in 6.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 2007, Lucas #4 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #15, Lucas #16.
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 | James | Lucas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | 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 | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Latin, via Greek Loukas |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /ˈluːkəs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus | 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 #4 (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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin, while Lucas is recorded with a Latin, via Greek Loukas origin.
- James and Lucas both have 2 syllables.
- James'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.
- The available evidence gives James a "high" Data Confidence level and Lucas a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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