Lucas vs Thomas
Lucas and Thomascompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Lucas was ranked #30 and Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Lucas was ranked #14 and Thomas #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Lucas was ranked #16 and Thomas #18 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Lucas was ranked #64 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Lucas was ranked #23 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Lucas was ranked #24 and Thomas #106 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Lucas was ranked #25 and Thomas #26 among boys in England and Wales.
Lucas and Thomas over time
Lucas and Thomas appear together in 6 published lists, across 196 years of shared records. Thomas held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Lucas in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Thomas reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Lucas in 1. 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 2007, Lucas moved ahead of Thomas in Norway · Boys — #41 and #22 the year before became #25 and #28.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lucas and Thomas changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1980 and 2025, ending at #14 and #13.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Lucas and Thomas averaged 43.5 places apart, ending at #25 and #26.
- Mirrored each other
Over 36 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Lucas rose about as far as Thomas fell — from #324 and #9 in 1979 to #64 and #16 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Lucas and Thomas were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 36 years, from 1980 to 2025, ending at #14 and #13.
List by list
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1976–2025
Lucas held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Thomas in 25.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #12 in 2012, Thomas #1 in 1976.
The order changed in 2007: Lucas moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #41 and #22; by 2007 that had become #25 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lucas #24, Thomas #106.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys36 shared years, 1980–2025
Lucas held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Thomas in 25.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #2 in 2011, Thomas #3 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lucas #14, Thomas #13.
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1979–2025
Lucas held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 36.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #55 in 2018, Thomas #9 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lucas #64, Thomas #16.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lucas held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Thomas in 28.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #17 in 2009, Thomas #2 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lucas #25, Thomas #26.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Lucas held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 28.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #22 in 2013, Thomas #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lucas #30, Thomas #11.
New Zealand · Boys23 shared years, 2001–2023
Lucas held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Thomas in 11.
Highest recorded here: Lucas #4 in 2011, Thomas #4 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Lucas #16, Thomas #18.
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 | Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | The Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'. |
| Origin | Latin, via Greek Loukas | Aramaic, via Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluːkəs/ | /ˈtɑməs/ |
| 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 #14 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #13 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| 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 Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
- Lucas and Thomas both have 2 syllables.
- Lucas's recorded meaning differs from Thomas'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
Thomas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #177 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1974 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys