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 2024, Joseph was ranked #56 and Luke #138 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 223 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Boys, Luke moved into the top 50 at #39 in 2022 as Joseph fell out of it to #61, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2022, Luke moved ahead of Joseph in New Zealand · Boys — #46 and #65 the year before became #61 and #39.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Joseph and Luke changed places 9 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1978 and 2023, ending at #69 and #38.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joseph and Luke averaged 27.9 places apart, ending at #56 and #138.
- Longest-running competitions
Joseph and Luke were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 58 years, from 1967 to 2024, ending at #45 and #96.
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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joseph held the stronger position in 29 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, 2024: Joseph #56, Luke #138.
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.
Side by side
| Field | Joseph | Luke |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From 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. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek/Latin, biblical |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluk/ | |
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #33 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
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
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
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #33 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Luke
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1967–2024
Highest recorded position: #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1994 (recorded 1967–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #322 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys