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Luke Baby boy name meaning, origin, and popularity

Luke name meaning and origin

The name Luke means "light-giving." It's a shortened version of the Latin name Lucas, which is derived from the Greek name Loukas. One famous Luke is Luke the Evangelist – a first-century Greek physician and early Christian who is said to have written the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles in the Bible. In the Catholic Church, Luke is the patron saint of artists and doctors.

Luke is a well-known, classic name that also feels cool and a bit edgy, which gives it a more modern feel. The enduring popularity of the Star Wars films, featuring hero Luke Skywalker, has no doubt given this name a boost and contributed to its "cool guy" persona. (The movie Cool Hand Luke starring Paul Newman probably helped, too!)

Luke can be a nickname for Lucas, Lucian, Luca, Lucius, or Luther, but it's also a standalone name in its own right. It doesn't have many different spelling variations, though you may occasionally see it spelled as Luc, which is the predominant spelling in France.

Luke is primarily used as a boy's name, but there is a gender-neutral version – Luca or Luka is used for boys and girls depending on the country. And there are many feminine names with the same roots as Luke, including Lucia, Lucinda, Luisa, and Lucy. 

Luke is a well-known name around the world, and it's even more popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom than in the United States. It does well in the U.S., too: Luke has been in the top 200 names for boys on the Social Security Administration (SSA) list since the late '70s, when the original Star Wars films were released.

Luke was most popular in 2015, when it hit number 28 on the SSA list. In 2020, Luke was still going strong and ranked 31 on the SSA list. On BabyCenter, Luke is similarly popular: It typically ranks in the top 40 names. (BabyCenter's ranking is based on data from hundreds of thousands of parents who share their baby's name with us.)

Luke's rich history and beautiful meaning have made it a popular choice among parents around the world. Given its short-and-sweet appeal, you can expect Luke to continue appearing near the top of baby name lists for years to come.

Luke name popularity

Popularity over time

babies per million
Source: Social Security Administration & BabyCenter user data

Luke in pop culture

Luke Skywalker
Main character in the Star Wars film trilogy
Luke
Vampire character in the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Lucas "Luke" Bankole
Character in the TV version of The Handmaid's Tale
Luke Cage
Character in the Marvel Universe comics
Luke Danes
Character in the television show Gilmore Girls
Luke Dunphy
Character in the television show Modern Family
Luke Hobbs
Character in the Fast and Furious film series
Luke Spencer
Character in the soap opera General Hospital
Cool Hand Luke
1967 film starring Paul Newman as Luke Jackson
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Famous people named Luke

Lucius "Luke" Appling
Professional baseball player who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964
Luke Babbitt
Former professional basketball player
Luke Bryan
American country singer and songwriter, best known for his hits Play it Again and Rain is a Good Thing
Luke Combs
American country singer and songwriter, best known for his hits Beautiful Crazy and Beer Never Broke My Heart
Luke Donald
British professional golfer
Luke Farrell
American professional baseball player
Luke Hemmings
Australian singer and songwriter
Luke Perry
American actor known for his roles in the television shows Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale
Luke Wilson
American actor best known for his roles in the films Legally Blonde and Idiocracy

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