Luke vs Matthew
Luke 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Luke was ranked #23 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Luke was ranked #38 and Matthew #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #57 and Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #50 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Luke was ranked #86 and Matthew #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #138 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Luke was ranked #244 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
Luke and Matthew over time
Luke and Matthew appear together in 5 published lists, across 221 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Luke in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 4 of those lists, Luke 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 took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Boys, Luke moved into the top 50 at #31 in 2013 as Matthew fell out of it to #53, having been #36 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Luke moved ahead of Matthew in England and Wales · Boys — #100 and #99 the year before became #109 and #114.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Luke and Matthew changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1967 and 2023, ending at #86 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Luke and Matthew averaged 5.2 places apart, ending at #138 and #149.
- Longest-running competitions
Luke and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 57 years, from 1967 to 2023, ending at #86 and #85.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Luke #11 in 1997, Matthew #6 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Luke held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Matthew in 28.
Highest recorded here: Luke #7 in 2006, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order changed in 1992: Luke moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #51 and #46; by 1992 that had become #41 and #45.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Luke #23, Matthew #55.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys57 shared years, 1967–2023
Luke held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Matthew in 54.
Highest recorded here: Luke #5 in 1994, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Luke #86, Matthew #85.
New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1978–2023
Luke held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Matthew in 30.
Highest recorded here: Luke #14 in 2003, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 2013: Luke moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #38 and #36; by 2013 that had become #31 and #53.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Luke #38, Matthew #99.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Matthew in 14.
Highest recorded here: Luke #11 in 1997, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order changed in 2020: Luke moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #100 and #99; by 2020 that had become #109 and #114.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #138, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Matthew in 26.
Highest recorded here: Luke #13 in 2005, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #57, Matthew #42.
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 | Luke | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Latin Lucas, from Greek Loukas — probably 'from Lucania' (a region of southern Italy), or possibly connected to Lucius. Luke was a physician who accompanied Paul and is traditionally credited as author of the third Gospel and Acts. | 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 | Greek/Latin, biblical | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluk/ | /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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #23 (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
- Luke is recorded with a Greek/Latin, biblical origin, while Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Luke and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Luke'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
Luke
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #105 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2024
Highest recorded position: #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1994 (recorded 1967–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #322 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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