Namewise

Joseph vs Luke

Joseph and Lukecompared 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.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joseph was ranked #64 and Luke #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joseph was ranked #34 and Luke #57 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Joseph was ranked #69 and Luke #38 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Joseph was ranked #45 and Luke #96 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joseph was ranked #82 and Luke #50 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Joseph was ranked #59 and Luke #131 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joseph was ranked #465 and Luke #322 among boys in Norway.

Joseph and Luke over time

Joseph and Luke appear together in 5 published lists, across 224 years of shared records. Luke held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Joseph in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Luke reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Joseph in 2. 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.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Joseph held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Luke in 32.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #11 in 1964, Luke #7 in 2006.

    The order changed in 1994: Luke moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #27 and #31; by 1994 that had become #29 and #27.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #64, Luke #23.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys58 shared years, 1967–2024

    Joseph held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Luke in 40.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #32 in 2005, Luke #5 in 1994.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #45, Luke #96.

  • New Zealand · Boys46 shared years, 1978–2023

    Joseph held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Luke in 37.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #18 in 1988, Luke #14 in 2003.

    The order changed in 2022: Luke moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #46 and #65; by 2022 that had become #61 and #39.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Joseph #69, Luke #38.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Joseph held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Luke in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #7 in 2000, Luke #11 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joseph #59, Luke #131.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Joseph held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Luke in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Joseph #22 in 2013, Luke #13 in 2005.

    The order changed in 2024: Joseph moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #76 and #42; by 2024 that had become #34 and #57.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joseph #34, Luke #57.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Joseph

Pairs where Joseph shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Luke

Pairs where Luke shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Joseph, Luke
FieldJosephLuke
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedFrom Latin Lucas, from Greek Loukas — probably 'from Lucania' (a region of southern Italy), or possibly connected to Lucius. Luke was a physician who accompanied Paul and is traditionally credited as author of the third Gospel and Acts.
OriginNot yet recordedGreek/Latin, biblical
Pronunciation/ˈluk/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #23 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Luke has a recorded origin (Greek/Latin, biblical); Joseph does not have one recorded yet.
  • Joseph and Luke both have 2 syllables.
  • A meaning is recorded for Luke; Joseph doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Joseph

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1949

    First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #59 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Luke

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #105 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1967–2024

    Highest recorded position: #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1994 (recorded 1967–2024).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #131 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys