Kai vs Lucas
Kai 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 2025, Kai was ranked #23 and Lucas #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Kai was ranked #56 and Lucas #23 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Kai was ranked #282 and Lucas #24 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Kai was ranked #72 and Lucas #25 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Kai was ranked #69 and Lucas #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Kai was ranked #34 and Lucas #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Kai and Lucas over time
Kai and Lucas appear together in 5 published lists, across 151 years of shared records. Lucas held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Kai in 0.
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.
Lucas reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Kai 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Lucas moved ahead of Kai in England and Wales · Boys — #62 and #75 the year before became #66 and #58.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Kai and Lucas changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2024, ending at #69 and #30.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Kai and Lucas averaged 37.4 places apart, ending at #72 and #25.
- Longest-running competitions
Kai and Lucas were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 44 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #282 and #24.
List by list
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1976–2025
Kai held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Lucas in 28.
Highest recorded here: Kai #57 in 1976, Lucas #12 in 2012.
The order changed in 1998: Lucas moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #236 and #290; by 1998 that had become #374 and #209.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kai #282, Lucas #24.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kai held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Lucas in 20.
Highest recorded here: Kai #56 in 2003, Lucas #17 in 2009.
The order changed in 2005: Lucas moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #62 and #75; by 2005 that had become #66 and #58.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kai #72, Lucas #25.
Republic of Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2025
Kai held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Lucas in 18.
Highest recorded here: Kai #30 in 2024, Lucas #55 in 2018.
The order changed in 2020: Kai moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #65 and #55; by 2020 that had become #58 and #68.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kai #34, Lucas #64.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Kai held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Lucas in 21.
Highest recorded here: Kai #52 in 2021, Lucas #22 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kai #69, Lucas #30.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys23 shared years, 2002–2025
Kai held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lucas in 23.
Highest recorded here: Kai #20 in 2023, Lucas #2 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Kai #23, Lucas #14.
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 | Kai | Lucas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin, via Greek Loukas |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈluːkəs/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #14 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lucas has a recorded origin (Latin, via Greek Loukas); Kai does not have one recorded yet.
- Kai has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Lucas.
- A meaning is recorded for Lucas; Kai doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Kai
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #76 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2002–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Lucas
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1980–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1980–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys