Luke vs Max
Luke 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Luke was ranked #23 and Max #41 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #96 and Max #27 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Luke was ranked #38 and Max #29 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #50 and Max #29 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #57 and Max #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #138 and Max #44 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Luke was ranked #322 and Max #72 among boys in Norway.
Luke and Max over time
Luke and Max appear together in 5 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Luke held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Max in 2.
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.
Luke 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Max moved into the top 50 at #30 in 2024 as Luke fell out of it to #57, having been #42 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2008, Max moved ahead of Luke in England and Wales · Boys — #21 and #31 the year before became #25 and #24.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Luke and Max averaged 36.9 places apart, ending at #138 and #44.
- Mirrored each other
Over 31 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Max rose about as far as Luke fell — from #18 and #94 in 1992 to #38 and #29 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Luke and Max were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 32 years, from 1992 to 2024, ending at #96 and #27.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1973–2025
Luke held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Max in 0.
Highest recorded here: Luke #7 in 2006, Max #27 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Luke #23, Max #41.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys32 shared years, 1992–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Max in 17.
Highest recorded here: Luke #5 in 1994, Max #13 in 2014.
The order changed in 2008: Max moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #22 and #26; by 2008 that had become #25 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #96, Max #27.
New Zealand · Boys31 shared years, 1992–2023
Luke held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Max in 15.
Highest recorded here: Luke #14 in 2003, Max #10 in 2016.
The order changed in 2009: Max moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #18 and #19; by 2009 that had become #29 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Luke #38, Max #29.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Max in 17.
Highest recorded here: Luke #11 in 1997, Max #18 in 2012.
The order changed in 2008: Max moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #21 and #31; by 2008 that had become #25 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #138, Max #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Max in 2.
Highest recorded here: Luke #13 in 2005, Max #22 in 2015.
The order changed in 2024: Max moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #42 and #47; by 2024 that had become #57 and #30.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #57, Max #30.
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 | Max |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A short form of Maximilian or Maxim, ultimately from Latin 'maximus' (greatest). |
| Origin | Greek/Latin, biblical | Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluk/ | /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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #23 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #30 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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 Max is recorded with a Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim origin.
- Luke has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Max.
- Luke'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
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
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