Leo vs Lucas
Leo 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Lucas #25 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #5 and Lucas #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Leo was ranked #5 and Lucas #16 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Lucas #23 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and Lucas #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #12 and Lucas #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #28 and Lucas #24 among boys in Norway.
Leo and Lucas over time
Leo and Lucas appear together in 6 published lists, across 174 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 6 of those lists, and Leo 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Leo moved ahead of Lucas in England and Wales · Boys — #27 and #26 the year before became #20 and #25.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leo and Lucas changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #12 and #30.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Leo and Lucas averaged 22.2 places apart, ending at #5 and #25.
- Longest-running competitions
Leo and Lucas were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 43 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #28 and #24.
List by list
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1976–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Lucas in 36.
Highest recorded here: Leo #28 in 2025, Lucas #12 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #28, Lucas #24.
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1979–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Lucas in 3.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, Lucas #55 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, Lucas #64.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Lucas in 13.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, Lucas #17 in 2009.
The order changed in 2012: Leo moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #27 and #26; by 2012 that had become #20 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #5, Lucas #25.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lucas in 10.
Highest recorded here: Leo #6 in 2023, Lucas #22 in 2013.
The order changed in 2014: Leo moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #30 and #22; by 2014 that had become #26 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #12, Lucas #30.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Leo held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Lucas in 15.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2019, Lucas #4 in 2011.
The order changed in 2018: Leo moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #11 and #9; by 2018 that had become #4 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leo #5, Lucas #16.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Lucas in 10.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2022, Lucas #2 in 2011.
The order changed in 2019: Leo moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #9 and #7; by 2019 that had become #5 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #5, 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 | Leo | Lucas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | 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 | Latin | Latin, via Greek Loukas |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #14 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Leo is recorded with a Latin origin, while Lucas is recorded with a Latin, via Greek Loukas origin.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Lucas.
- Leo'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
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 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