Boy name · Greek
Luke
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: man from LucaniaLuke is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "man from Lucania". It is used in English and Irish.
- Meaning
- Man from Lucania
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #33 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Luke
As a boy's name, Luke comes from Greek and means "man from Lucania". It is used in English and Irish.
Luke is also a surname: the 2,036th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 17,362 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Luke on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Luke on 5 lists.
“Bryan and Combs keep it at the top of the charts”
From Redneck names for boys, country music inspired boy names
“Man from Lucania; Greek. Physician, traditionally the writer of the third Gospel”
From Biblical names, names from the Gospels and Acts
“Man from Lucania; Greek. Bright and friendly”
From Boy middle names, one-syllable boy middle names
“Man from Lucania; Greek. A gospel writer and physician”
From Classic boy names, classic biblical boy names
“Man from Lucania; Greek, the Gospel writer and physician”
From Cute boy names, short and cute boy names
How popular is Luke?
- US rank in 2025
- #33
- 6,948 babies, 4,068 per million boys
- Best rank
- #28 in 2014
- 10,523 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 323,020
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 404 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 352 per million |
| 1900s | 367 per million |
| 1910s | 201 per million |
| 1920s | 154 per million |
| 1930s | 120 per million |
| 1940s | 87 per million |
| 1950s | 114 per million |
| 1960s | 211 per million |
| 1970s | 623 per million |
| 1980s | 1,465 per million |
| 1990s | 2,281 per million |
| 2000s | 4,534 per million |
| 2010s | 4,961 per million |
| 2020s | 4,260 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29 | #30 | #30 | #32 | #31 | #32 | #34 | #31 | #34 | #33 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Luke
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Luke
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- GianlucaGod is gracious and man from Lucania (Hebrew and Greek, boy)
- Jean-LucGod is gracious, plus from Lucania (Hebrew and Greek, boy)
- ŁukaszFrom Lucania (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Luke
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Greek
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
- SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
- AlexDefender, protector (Greek, unisex)
- AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)
Luke: common questions
What does the name Luke mean?
Luke comes from Greek and means "man from Lucania".
Is Luke a boy or girl name?
Luke is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 9 girls and 6,948 boys in the US were named Luke, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Luke come from?
Luke comes from Greek and means "man from Lucania". Today it is used in English and Irish.
How popular is the name Luke?
Luke ranked #33 in the US in 2025, with 6,948 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Luke?
Forms of Luke with the same meaning and origin include Loukas (Greek), Luca (English), Lucas (English), Luka (English) and Lukas (German).
What middle names go with Luke?
Middle names that flow well with Luke include Benedict, Conrad, David, Grayson and Howell. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.

