John vs Luca
John 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Luca #6 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Luca #7 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Luca #7 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2021, John was ranked #86 and Luca #10 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #29 and Luca #11 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, John was ranked #97 and Luca #29 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #161 and Luca #60 among boys in Norway.
John and Luca over time
John and Luca appear together in 6 published lists, across 154 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 6 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Luca moved into the top 50 at #16 in 2022 as John fell out of it to #79, having been #48 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2007, Luca moved ahead of John in England and Wales · Boys — #73 and #81 the year before became #75 and #72.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Luca were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 39 years, from 1973 to 2025, ending at #161 and #60.
List by list
Norway · Boys39 shared years, 1973–2025
John held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Luca in 5.
Highest recorded here: John #30 in 1978, Luca #60 in 2025.
The order changed in 2021: Luca moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #160 and #183; by 2021 that had become #147 and #110.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #161, Luca #60.
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2025
John held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Luca in 4.
Highest recorded here: John #4 in 1994, Luca #11 in 2025.
The order changed in 2022: Luca moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #28 and #54; by 2022 that had become #36 and #30.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Luca #11.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Luca in 18.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Luca #7 in 2023.
The order changed in 2007: Luca moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #73 and #81; by 2007 that had become #75 and #72.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Luca #7.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 2000–2024
John held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Luca in 4.
Highest recorded here: John #19 in 2003, Luca #7 in 2024.
The order changed in 2022: Luca moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #48 and #63; by 2022 that had become #79 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, Luca #7.
New Zealand · Boys18 shared years, 2004–2021
John held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Luca in 14.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 2004, Luca #10 in 2021.
The order changed in 2009: Luca moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #54 and #55; by 2009 that had become #57 and #52.
Most recent shared year, 2021: John #86, Luca #10.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys13 shared years, 2005–2019
John held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Luca in 11.
Highest recorded here: John #65 in 2007, Luca #29 in 2019.
The order changed in 2008: Luca moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #65 and #83; by 2008 that had become #83 and #77.
Most recent shared year, 2019: John #97, Luca #29.
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 | John | Luca |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew | Italian, via Greek Loukas |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈluːkə/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Luca is recorded with a Italian, via Greek Loukas origin.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Luca.
- John'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.
How each name got here
John
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #20 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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