Luca vs Sebastian
Luca and Sebastiancompared 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 Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Luca was ranked #4 and Sebastian #47 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Luca was ranked #4 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Luca was ranked #6 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Luca was ranked #7 and Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Luca was ranked #11 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Luca was ranked #60 and Sebastian #53 among boys in Norway.
Luca and Sebastian over time
Luca and Sebastian appear together in 6 published lists, across 161 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.
Sebastian 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Luca moved ahead of Sebastian in England and Wales · Boys — #45 and #39 the year before became #28 and #38.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Luca and Sebastian changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2002 and 2024, ending at #7 and #154.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Luca and Sebastian averaged 31.7 places apart, ending at #4 and #47.
- Longest-running competitions
Luca and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #4 and #47.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Luca #4 in 2024, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
List by list
Norway · Boys39 shared years, 1973–2025
Luca held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sebastian in 39.
Highest recorded here: Luca #60 in 2025, Sebastian #6 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Luca #60, Sebastian #53.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Luca held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Sebastian in 21.
Highest recorded here: Luca #4 in 2025, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order changed in 2021: Luca moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #45 and #39; by 2021 that had become #28 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Luca #4, Sebastian #47.
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1997–2025
Luca held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Sebastian in 9.
Highest recorded here: Luca #11 in 2025, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order changed in 2018: Luca moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #102 and #80; by 2018 that had become #77 and #93.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Luca #11, Sebastian #125.
Northern Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 2002–2024
Luca held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Sebastian in 4.
Highest recorded here: Luca #7 in 2024, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order changed in 2016: Luca moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #112 and #102; by 2016 that had become #104 and #108.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luca #7, Sebastian #154.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys21 shared years, 2005–2025
Luca held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sebastian in 14.
Highest recorded here: Luca #4 in 2024, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order changed in 2019: Luca moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #41 and #37; by 2019 that had become #29 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Luca #4, Sebastian #31.
New Zealand · Boys19 shared years, 2005–2023
Luca held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Sebastian in 1.
Highest recorded here: Luca #3 in 2023, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Luca #3, Sebastian #52.
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 | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| 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). | Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus. |
| Origin | Italian, via Greek Loukas | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluːkə/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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 | England and Wales · Boys #4 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 70/100 |
| 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 Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- Luca has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
- Luca's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian'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 #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sebastian
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys