boy's name
Luca
LOO-kah
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 147,590
the United States
#14
2025 births
Luca is a boy's name of Latin origin, the Italian form of Luke. Like Lucas it most likely means "man from Lucania," a region in southern Italy, and it names the evangelist traditionally credited with the third gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.
- Luca is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2025, when 8,824 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 161 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1915.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Luca over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. Luca is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 24 |
| 1920s | 41 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1960s | 48 |
| 1970s | 121 |
| 1980s | 266 |
| 1990s | 736 |
| 2000s | 7,631 |
| 2010s | 25,697 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 44,642 |
What Luca means
Luca denotes someone from Lucania in southern Italy, making it a place-based name. As with Lucas, it is often popularly linked to the Latin lux, meaning light, though that connection is a resemblance rather than a derivation.
Where Luca comes from
Luca is the Italian development of the Latin Lucas, itself from the Greek Loukas, understood as a shortened form of Loukanos, a man of Lucania. Italian dropped the final -s in line with its normal treatment of Latin masculine endings, producing Luca — which, despite ending in -a, is firmly a masculine name in Italian. The name owes its spread to Luke the Evangelist, and in Italy it is reinforced by the Tuscan city of Lucca, though the city's name has a separate origin. English-speaking countries have adopted Luca considerably in recent decades alongside Lucas and Luke.
Luca in use
Luca ends in -a but is masculine in Italian, following the normal pattern for names of this type.
How popular is Luca?
In 2025, Luca was given to 3,270 babies in England and Wales, ranking #4 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Luca is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
How Luca is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Lùca | Lùca is a rare spelling of Luca, written with a grave accent and recorded about 80 times, mostly in France. | 80 |
| Lúca | Lúca is a rare spelling of Luca, written with a fada and recorded 18 times, mostly in Ireland. | 18 |
Names that peaked alongside Luca
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Luca also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Luca over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Luca
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Luca in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Luca
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Luca — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Luca
What does the name Luca mean?
Luca most likely means "man from Lucania," a region of southern Italy.
Is Luca a boy's or a girl's name?
In Italian, Luca is firmly masculine despite its -a ending, following the normal pattern for names of this type.
Is Luca the same as Lucas?
Yes. Luca is the Italian form of the Latin Lucas.
How popular is the name Luca?
In 2025, Luca was given to 3,270 babies in England and Wales, ranking #4 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
How many syllables are in Luca?
Luca has 2 syllables.
When was Luca most popular?
Luca peaked in 2025, when 8,824 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Luca?
Luca is usually shortened to Luc.
Is Luca a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Luca currently ranks #4 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.