Joshua vs Lukas
Joshua and Lukascompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 2007, Joshua was ranked #3 and Lukas #77 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Lukas #35 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #50 and Lukas #311 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Lukas #432 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Lukas #256 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Joshua was ranked #81 and Lukas #272 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Joshua and Lukas over time
Joshua and Lukas appear together in 4 published lists, across 123 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Lukas in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one 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 4 of those lists, and Lukas 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Joshua and Lukas were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 44 years, from 1980 to 2025, ending at #405 and #35.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Joshua #6 in 2008, Lukas #151 in 2010.
List by list
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1980–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Lukas in 41.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #255 in 2007, Lukas #19 in 2023.
The order changed in 1989: Lukas moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #425 and #548; by 1989 that had become #586 and #335.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #405, Lukas #35.
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2025
Joshua held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lukas in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Lukas #157 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Lukas #272.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lukas in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Lukas #189 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #50, Lukas #311.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Joshua held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Lukas in 0.
Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2008, Lukas #151 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, Lukas #256.
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 | Joshua | Lukas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə/ | |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #81 (2025) | Norway · Boys #35 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Joshua has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Lukas does not have one recorded yet.
- Joshua and Lukas both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Joshua; Lukas doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Joshua
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1971–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 (recorded 1971–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #405 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Lukas
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #615 among boys in Norway in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1977–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among boys in Norway, in 2023 (recorded 1977–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #35 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys