Luke
Luke was the 33rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6,948 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 28th with 10,523 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 5 places. More babies were named Luke in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning 'man from Lucania' · Ancient Greek, Latin
Say it LOOK /ˈluk/
- Rank in 2025
- #33 boys, down 2 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6,948boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 201410,523 babies
- Total since 1880
- 323,585babies recorded
What does the name Luke mean?
Luke is the English form of Latin Lucas and Greek Loukas, the name of the evangelist credited with the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. DMNES explains Loukas as 'man from Lucania', a region of southern Italy. It is unrelated to Lucy, despite the similar sound.
Λουκᾶς (Koine Greek, “Loukas”)
How sure is this? Probable.
See also: Greek names, names from places.
Luke popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 565 since 1970, 9 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #33 | 6,948 |
| 2020 | #31 | 7,784 |
| 2010 | #41 | 8,850 |
| 2000 | #59 | 7,148 |
| 1990 | #118 | 2,883 |
| 1980 | #97 | 3,109 |
| 1970 | #351 | 535 |
| 1960 | #384 | 426 |
| 1950 | #516 | 170 |
| 1940 | #548 | 116 |
| 1930 | #503 | 141 |
| 1920 | #472 | 166 |
| 1910 | #294 | 71 |
| 1900 | #243 | 70 |
| 1890 | #269 | 42 |
| 1880 | #256 | 43 |
How popular is Luke, counting every spelling?
Luke is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #38 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #33 for Luke on its own. Together these spellings went to 6,981 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke | 6,948 | #33 | 36,365 |
| Luc | 33 | #3,483 | 227 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Luke?
6,948 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Luke (1.93 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Luke born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 28. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Luke.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Luke?
About 308,700 people born in the US named Luke are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 10 and 28. That makes Luke mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Luke by state
How common Luke was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (2.5×), Wyoming (2.4×), Alaska (2.0×), Vermont (1.9×), Delaware (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New York, Minnesota, Illinois.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Luke: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Luke, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Luke · Sibling names for Luke
Luke is also a nickname for Lucas and Lukas.
Questions about the name Luke
What does Luke mean?
Luke means “'man from Lucania'” (Ancient Greek, Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Luke?
Luke was the 33rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6,948 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 28th with 10,523 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 5 places. More babies were named Luke in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Luke a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Luke in the US.
Where is Luke most popular?
In 2021–2025, Luke was most common in Hawaii (10.63 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wyoming and Alaska.