Namewise

Joshua vs Lucas

Joshua 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #76 and Lucas #9 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Lucas #16 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Lucas #23 among boys in Scotland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Lucas #24 among boys in Norway.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Lucas #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Lucas #32 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Lucas #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Joshua and Lucas over time

Joshua and Lucas appear together in 6 published lists, across 191 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lucas in 2.

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.

Joshua 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.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025

    Joshua held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Lucas in 33.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Lucas #12 in 2012.

    The order changed in 1997: Lucas moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #278 and #279; by 1997 that had become #413 and #290.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Lucas #24.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys35 shared years, 1980–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Lucas in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Lucas #2 in 2011.

    The order changed in 2011: Lucas moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #4 and #10; by 2011 that had become #9 and #2.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #76, Lucas #9.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys35 shared years, 1985–2025

    Joshua held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Lucas in 4.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Lucas #55 in 2018.

    The order changed in 2025: Lucas moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #73 and #74; by 2025 that had become #81 and #64.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Lucas #64.

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

    Joshua held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Lucas in 5.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Lucas #17 in 2009.

    The order changed in 2021: Lucas moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #23 and #25; by 2021 that had become #31 and #22.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Lucas #32.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Lucas in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Lucas #22 in 2013.

    The order changed in 2024: Lucas moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #46 and #61; by 2024 that had become #63 and #30.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Lucas #30.

  • New Zealand · Boys23 shared years, 2001–2023

    Joshua held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Lucas in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 2001, Lucas #4 in 2011.

    The order changed in 2012: Lucas moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #2 and #4; by 2012 that had become #16 and #8.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, 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.

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 Joshua

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

Other comparisons involving Lucas

Pairs where Lucas 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 moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

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

New South Wales, Australia 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 Joshua, Lucas
FieldJoshuaLucas
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningFrom Hebrew Yehoshua, combining 'yeho' (referring to God) with 'yasha' ('to save') — 'Yahweh is salvation'. Joshua succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelites in the Old Testament.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.
OriginBiblical HebrewLatin, via Greek Loukas
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə//ˈluːkəs/
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 observationEngland and Wales · Boys #53 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #14 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Joshua is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Lucas is recorded with a Latin, via Greek Loukas origin.
  • Joshua and Lucas both have 2 syllables.
  • Joshua'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

Joshua

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1971

    First recorded at #77 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1971–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1971–2024).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #53 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Lucas

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1980–2025

    Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1980–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #32 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys