Namewise

Joshua vs Luke

Joshua 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, Joshua was ranked #81 and Luke #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Joshua was ranked #67 and Luke #38 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #60 and Luke #50 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #53 and Luke #131 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #63 and Luke #57 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, Joshua was ranked #76 and Luke #96 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Joshua was ranked #405 and Luke #322 among boys in Norway.

Joshua and Luke over time

Joshua and Luke appear together in 5 published lists, across 205 years of shared records. Joshua held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Luke 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.

Joshua reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Luke in 1. 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 Joshua fell out of it to #68, having been #47 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2024, Joshua moved ahead of Luke in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #93 and #86 the year before became #76 and #96.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Joshua and Luke averaged 37.5 places apart, ending at #53 and #131.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Joshua and Luke were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #53 and #131.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Joshua #1 in 1993, Luke #5 in 1994.

List by list

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys54 shared years, 1971–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Luke in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1993, Luke #5 in 1994.

    The order changed in 2024: Joshua moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #93 and #86; by 2024 that had become #76 and #96.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #76, Luke #96.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1974–2025

    Joshua held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Luke in 47.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #17 in 2003, Luke #7 in 2006.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #81, Luke #23.

  • New Zealand · Boys46 shared years, 1978–2023

    Joshua held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Luke in 4.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #1 in 1995, Luke #14 in 2003.

    The order changed in 2022: Luke moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #47 and #65; by 2022 that had become #68 and #39.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Joshua #67, Luke #38.

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #2 in 2002, Luke #11 in 1997.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Joshua #53, Luke #131.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Joshua held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Luke in 8.

    Highest recorded here: Joshua #6 in 2002, Luke #13 in 2005.

    The order changed in 2020: Luke moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #18 and #63; by 2020 that had become #34 and #27.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Joshua #63, 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 Joshua

Pairs where Joshua 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 — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

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, Luke
FieldJoshuaLuke
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.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.
OriginBiblical HebrewGreek/Latin, biblical
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒɑʃ.u.ə//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 observationEngland and Wales · Boys #53 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #23 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Joshua is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Luke is recorded with a Greek/Latin, biblical origin.
  • Joshua and Luke both have 2 syllables.
  • Joshua's recorded meaning differs from Luke'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

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