Luke vs Nathan
Luke and Nathancompared 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 Nathan #71 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Luke was ranked #38 and Nathan #70 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #50 and Nathan #62 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #57 and Nathan #118 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, Luke was ranked #75 and Nathan #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #138 and Nathan #88 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Luke was ranked #322 and Nathan #344 among boys in Norway.
Luke and Nathan over time
Luke and Nathan appear together in 5 published lists, across 206 years of shared records. Luke held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Nathan in 0.
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.
Nathan 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Nathan moved ahead of Luke in England and Wales · Boys — #109 and #111 the year before became #117 and #99.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Luke and Nathan changed places 9 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1978 and 2023, ending at #38 and #70.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Luke and Nathan averaged 15.0 places apart, ending at #138 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Luke and Nathan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 49 years, from 1969 to 2018, ending at #75 and #84.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys54 shared years, 1968–2025
Luke held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Luke #7 in 2006, Nathan #26 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Luke #23, Nathan #71.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys49 shared years, 1969–2018
Luke held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Nathan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Luke #5 in 1994, Nathan #10 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Luke #75, Nathan #84.
New Zealand · Boys46 shared years, 1978–2023
Luke held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Nathan in 7.
Highest recorded here: Luke #14 in 2003, Nathan #14 in 1995.
The order changed in 1997: Luke moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #18 and #16; by 1997 that had become #18 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Luke #38, Nathan #70.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Nathan in 4.
Highest recorded here: Luke #11 in 1997, Nathan #24 in 2002.
The order changed in 2021: Nathan moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #109 and #111; by 2021 that had become #117 and #99.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #138, Nathan #88.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Nathan in 6.
Highest recorded here: Luke #13 in 2005, Nathan #15 in 2000.
The order changed in 2004: Luke moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #17 and #16; by 2004 that had become #15 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #57, Nathan #118.
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 | Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'he gave' or 'he has given'. |
| Origin | Greek/Latin, biblical | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluk/ | /ˈneɪθən/ |
| 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 #71 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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 Nathan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Luke and Nathan both have 2 syllables.
- Luke's recorded meaning differs from Nathan'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
Nathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #267 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2018
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1981 (recorded 1969–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #344 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys