boy's name
Lucas
LOO-kus
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 621,058
the United States
#10
2025 births
Lucas is a boy's name of Latin origin, the Latin form of Luke. It most likely means "man from Lucania," a region of southern Italy, though it is often popularly connected to lux, the Latin word for light, through the similarity of the two words.
- Lucas is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2017, when 13,044 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 324 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1881.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lucas over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 41 |
| 1890s | 67 |
| 1900s | 55 |
| 1910s | 286 |
| 1920s | 403 |
| 1930s | 254 |
| 1940s | 256 |
| 1950s | 339 |
| 1960s | 857 |
| 1970s | 8,859 |
| 1980s | 26,214 |
| 1990s | 38,242 |
| 2000s | 71,114 |
| 2010s | 118,790 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 65,851 |
What Lucas means
Lucas is usually explained as denoting someone from Lucania in southern Italy, making it a place-based name rather than a descriptive one. The widespread association with "light" comes from a resemblance to the Latin lux and is generally treated as folk etymology.
Where Lucas comes from
Lucas comes from the Latin Lucas, a rendering of the Greek Loukas, which is understood as a short form of Loukanos, meaning a man from Lucania — a region in the south of the Italian peninsula. The name belongs to Luke the Evangelist, traditionally the author of the third gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, and a physician by profession according to Paul's letters. Because Lucas closely resembles the Latin lux, meaning light, the two are often linked in popular sources, but the place-name derivation is the one generally accepted by scholars. Lucas remained the standard Latin and continental form while English developed Luke separately.
How popular is Lucas?
In 2025, Lucas was given to 10,228 babies in the United States, ranking #10 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Lucas is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Lucas is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Lùcas | Lùcas is a rare spelling of Lucas, written with a grave accent and recorded about 60 times, mostly in France. | 60 |
| Lúcás | Lúcás is a rare spelling of Lucas, written with a fada and recorded 4 times, mostly in Ireland. | 4 |
Names that peaked alongside Lucas
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lucas also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lucas over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Lucas
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.
Lucas 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 Lucas
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lucas — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lucas
What does the name Lucas mean?
Lucas most likely means "man from Lucania," a region of southern Italy.
Does Lucas mean light?
This is a common belief based on the similarity to the Latin lux, but the place-name derivation is the one scholars generally accept.
Are Lucas and Luke the same name?
Yes. Luke is the English form of the Latin Lucas.
How popular is the name Lucas?
In 2025, Lucas was given to 10,228 babies in the United States, ranking #10 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Lucas a girl's or a boy's name?
Lucas is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lucas?
Lucas has 2 syllables.
When was Lucas most popular?
Lucas peaked in 2017, when 13,044 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Lucas?
Lucas is usually shortened to Luke and Luc.
Is Lucas a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lucas currently ranks #7 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.