What Does the Name Luke Mean? (2024)

Luke is an English form of the LatinLucas, from the Greek nameLoukasmeaning"from Lucania," referring to the region in southern Italy.

How Popular Is the Name Luke?

The name Luke has been a top 500 name for boys in the U.S. since 1955, but it got a bump in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. This is perhaps because of the 1977 release of the first “Star Wars” film, featuring Luke Skywalker as its central character.

Luke ranked #97 in the U.S. in 1980, breaking into the top 100 for the first time, but it hovered in that area for another decade. The name began seriously climbing in popularity in the 1990s, ranking in the top 50 in 2001. The latest statistics rank Luke as the #31 name for boys in America.

Although the name Luke is typically used as a masculine name, it can certainly be used however you see fit as sex doesn't have to be a part of your name selection process.

Name Variations

As a biblical name, Luke has an equivalent in virtually every known language. These include:

• Lluc (Catalan)
• Loek (Dutch)
• Loukas (Greek)
• Luc (French)
• Luca (Italian)
• Lucio (Spanish)
• Luka (Georgian)
• Lukacs (Hungarian)
• Lukas (German)
• Lukasz (Polish)
• Lukács (Hungarian)
• Lukás (Czech)
• Lukyan (Russian)
• Lusio (Zuni)
• Luukas (Finnish)
• Lùcas (Scottish)
• Lúcás (Irish)

Luke is sometimes used as a nickname for Lucius or Luther.

Similar Names

Lucas/Lukas, originally variant forms of the same name, are also seen in English.

Other boy names starting with L:

• Lane
• Langston
• Lawrence
• Leon
• Leonardo
• Liam
• Linus
• Lionel
• Louis
• Lyle

Other boy names from the New Testament:

• Andrew
• Bartholomew
• John
• Mark
• Matthew
• Paul
• Peter
• Philip
• Thomas

Suggested Sibling Names

Luke may pair well with the following names:

• Asher
• Benjamin
• Dylan
• Henry
• Julian
• Hannah
• Nora
• Riley
• Stella
• Zoe

Famous People Named Luke

• Lucius “Luke” Appling (1907–1991), Baseball Hall of Famer who played shortstop for the Chicago White Sox
• Luke Askew (1932–2012), American actor known for his role in the film “Easy Rider”
• Luke Babbitt, former NBA player who played for the Miami Heat
• Luke Burbank, American radio host and host of the Seattle-based podcast “Too Beautiful to Live”
• Luke Combs, American country music singer-songwriter
• Luke Donald, English professional golfer who was formerly the top golf player in the world
• Luke Farrell, American baseball player known as a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
• Luke Gazdic is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger
• Luke Goss, English actor and musician, formerly drummer for the 1980s pop band Bros
• Luke Grimes, American actor known for his roles in the film “American Sniper” and the “Fifty Shades” film series
• Luke Hemmings, Australian singer-songwriter and musician, known as the lead vocalist for the Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer
• Luke Hemsworth, Australian actor known for his role in the HBO series “Westworld”
• Luke James, Grammy-nominated R&B singer and songwriter
• Luke Kelly (1940–1984), Irish singer and folk musician known for his distinctive singing style and strong stances on social issues
• Luke Kuechly, American football player and former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
• Lucas Patrick McCown, former NFL quarterback who played for several teams including the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints
• Luke Perry (1966–2019), American actor known for his roles in the TV series “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Riverdale”
• Luke Shaw, English footballer who plays for Manchester United
• Luke Wilson, American actor known for his roles in such films as “Legally Blonde,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” and “Idiocracy”