Luca vs Matthew
Luca and Matthewcompared 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 2023, Luca was ranked #3 and Matthew #99 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Luca was ranked #6 and Matthew #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Luca was ranked #6 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Luca was ranked #7 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Luca was ranked #7 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Luca was ranked #11 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Luca was ranked #64 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
Luca and Matthew over time
Luca and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 150 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Luca in 1.
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.
Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Luca 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 took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Boys, Luca moved into the top 50 at #35 in 2015 as Matthew fell out of it to #57, having been #37 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Luca moved ahead of Matthew in England and Wales · Boys — #53 and #47 the year before became #52 and #53.
- Longest-running competitions
Luca and Matthew were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 30 years, from 1994 to 2025, ending at #11 and #55.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2025
Luca held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Matthew in 26.
Highest recorded here: Luca #11 in 2025, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order changed in 2022: Luca moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #54 and #37; by 2022 that had become #30 and #42.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Luca #11, Matthew #55.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Luca held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Matthew in 20.
Highest recorded here: Luca #7 in 2023, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order changed in 2016: Luca moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #53 and #47; by 2016 that had become #52 and #53.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luca #7, Matthew #149.
Norway · Boys28 shared years, 1973–2023
Luca held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Matthew in 13.
Highest recorded here: Luca #64 in 2023, Matthew #276 in 1990.
The order changed in 2002: Luca moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #467 and #427; by 2002 that had become #486 and #489.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Luca #64, Matthew #421.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 2000–2024
Luca held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Matthew in 22.
Highest recorded here: Luca #7 in 2024, Matthew #1 in 2000.
The order changed in 2022: Luca moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #63 and #34; by 2022 that had become #16 and #31.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luca #7, Matthew #42.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys19 shared years, 2005–2023
Luca held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Matthew in 11.
Highest recorded here: Luca #6 in 2023, Matthew #10 in 2005.
The order changed in 2016: Luca moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #56 and #52; by 2016 that had become #48 and #53.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Luca #6, Matthew #85.
New Zealand · Boys19 shared years, 2004–2023
Luca held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Matthew in 11.
Highest recorded here: Luca #3 in 2023, Matthew #6 in 2004.
The order changed in 2015: Luca moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #39 and #37; by 2015 that had become #35 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Luca #3, Matthew #99.
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 | Luca | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Italian and Romanian form of Lucas, itself probably a shortened form of the Greek 'Loukanos', meaning 'from Lucania' (a region of southern Italy). | From Greek Matthaios, from Hebrew Mattithiah, combining 'mattat' (gift) with 'Yahweh' — 'gift of God'. Matthew was a tax collector and one of the twelve apostles, traditionally credited as author of the first Gospel. |
| Origin | Italian, via Greek Loukas | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluːkə/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Luca is recorded with a Italian, via Greek Loukas origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Luca and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Luca's recorded meaning differs from Matthew'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
Luca
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #603 among boys in Norway in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2004–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2004–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Matthew
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1982 (recorded 1957–2023).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys