Luke vs Patrick
Luke and Patrickcompared 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 Patrick #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #57 and Patrick #26 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, Luke was ranked #38 and Patrick #93 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #50 and Patrick #125 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #96 and Patrick #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Luke was ranked #138 and Patrick #120 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Luke was ranked #322 and Patrick #327 among boys in Norway.
Luke and Patrick over time
Luke and Patrick appear together in 5 published lists, across 217 years of shared records. Luke held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Patrick 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.
Patrick reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Luke 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 2024, Patrick moved ahead of Luke in England and Wales · Boys — #118 and #130 the year before became #138 and #120.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Luke and Patrick changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #57 and #26.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Luke and Patrick averaged 56.7 places apart, ending at #138 and #120.
- Longest-running competitions
Luke and Patrick were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 58 years, from 1967 to 2024, ending at #96 and #78.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Luke #11 in 1997, Patrick #66 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Luke held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Patrick in 37.
Highest recorded here: Luke #7 in 2006, Patrick #2 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Luke #23, Patrick #25.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys58 shared years, 1967–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Patrick in 16.
Highest recorded here: Luke #5 in 1994, Patrick #30 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #96, Patrick #78.
New Zealand · Boys40 shared years, 1978–2020
Luke held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Patrick in 0.
Highest recorded here: Luke #14 in 2003, Patrick #47 in 1991.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Luke #38, Patrick #93.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Patrick in 1.
Highest recorded here: Luke #11 in 1997, Patrick #66 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Patrick moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #118 and #130; by 2024 that had become #138 and #120.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #138, Patrick #120.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Luke held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Patrick in 9.
Highest recorded here: Luke #13 in 2005, Patrick #18 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Luke #57, Patrick #26.
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 | Patrick |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Latin Patricius, meaning 'nobleman, patrician'. Adopted by Saint Patrick (originally named Sucat), a Romanized Briton who Christianized Ireland and became its patron saint. |
| Origin | Greek/Latin, biblical | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈluk/ | /ˈpæt.ɹɪk/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Pádraig, Pádraic |
| 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 #25 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Luke is recorded with a Greek/Latin, biblical origin, while Patrick is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Luke and Patrick both have 2 syllables.
- Luke's recorded meaning differs from Patrick's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Luke a "medium" Data Confidence level and Patrick a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Patrick
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #315 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys