Lucas vs Max
Lucas and Maxcompared 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, Lucas was ranked #14 and Max #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Lucas was ranked #16 and Max #29 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Lucas was ranked #23 and Max #29 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Lucas was ranked #24 and Max #72 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Lucas was ranked #25 and Max #44 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Lucas was ranked #30 and Max #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Lucas was ranked #64 and Max #41 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Lucas and Max over time
Lucas and Max appear together in 6 published lists, across 189 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 5 of those lists, and Max 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 2017, Lucas moved ahead of Max in England and Wales · Boys — #27 and #25 the year before became #25 and #27.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lucas and Max changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #25 and #44.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Lucas and Max averaged 24.1 places apart, ending at #25 and #44.
- Longest-running competitions
Lucas and Max were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1995 to 2025, ending at #14 and #30.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Lucas #22 in 2013, Max #22 in 2015.
List by list
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1976–2025
Lucas held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Max in 13.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #12 in 2012, Max #60 in 2012.
The order changed in 2000: Lucas moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #203 and #182; by 2000 that had become #160 and #179.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lucas #24, Max #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1988–2025
Lucas held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Max in 33.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #55 in 2018, Max #27 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lucas #64, Max #41.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1995–2025
Lucas held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Max in 12.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #2 in 2011, Max #13 in 2014.
The order changed in 2009: Lucas moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #21 and #19; by 2009 that had become #12 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lucas #14, Max #30.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lucas held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Max in 18.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #17 in 2009, Max #18 in 2012.
The order changed in 2017: Lucas moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #27 and #25; by 2017 that had become #25 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lucas #25, Max #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Lucas held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Max in 17.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #22 in 2013, Max #22 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lucas #30, Max #30.
New Zealand · Boys23 shared years, 2001–2023
Lucas held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Max in 7.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #4 in 2011, Max #10 in 2016.
The order changed in 2016: Lucas moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #14 and #13; by 2016 that had become #8 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lucas #16, Max #29.
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 | Lucas | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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. | A short form of Maximilian or Maxim, ultimately from Latin 'maximus' (greatest). |
| Origin | Latin, via Greek Loukas | Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluːkəs/ | /ˈmæks/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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 #14 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #30 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lucas is recorded with a Latin, via Greek Loukas origin, while Max is recorded with a Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim origin.
- Lucas has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Max.
- Lucas's recorded meaning differs from Max'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
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
Max
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #359 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1992–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2016 (recorded 1992–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys