Lucas
- Pronunciation
- [Lu-cas]
- Gender
- Male
- Meaning
- From Lucania (traditional interpretation)
- Origin
- Latin
Meaning and history of Lucas
Lucas is the Latin form associated with Greek Loukas. A traditional interpretation connects Loukas with Lucania, a region in southern Italy. The reference for Luke also records an alternative connection with Lucius, so the older history should be described with that qualification.
The former Gaelic label was not appropriate for this explanation. “Light” should not be treated as the sole established translation of Lucas. A geographical derivation and an alternative name connection are different claims.
Lucas is used in several languages. Its English pronunciation is commonly rendered LOO-kus, while French, Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish forms can sound different. When a particular language matters to your family, check that language’s pronunciation rather than treating one English guide as universal.
Etymology references: Behind the Name, Lucas, Luke. Reviewed October 27, 2026. Popularity evidence is shown separately below.
By Marvin Tang. Popularity figures use an imported selection of SSA records; SSA does not supply name meanings or etymologies. Editorial references, where available, are listed with the name explanation. Sources and coverage.
Quick Facts About Lucas
US Popularity History (1980–2025)
Annual imported US counts for Lucas by recorded sex, from US Social Security Administration records. Highest count in the imported records: 2017 with 13,029 boys named Lucas (boy rank #11 that year).
Latest imported observation: in 2025, ranked #10 for boys (10,219 imported records). That's 1 places above its earlier 2017 peak — the latest stored rank is higher than its rank at the highest observed count; rank and count measure different things.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Coverage: imported US Social Security card-application records, not a complete birth census. Historical coverage is narrower, including top-100 selection before 2000; recent imports also use catalog and rank filters. Missing rows can reflect those filters or source privacy limits and must not be read as zero or fewer than five uses. Spellings and recorded sex are kept separate.
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Look up Lucas across states
Compare this exact spelling in one year and recorded sex list. Missing state records remain unknown.
Observed State Ranks for Lucas
Average boy-name rank across the same 2016–2025 window, limited to 51 jurisdictions with every year imported. A lower number means the name appears closer to the top of that state's boys-name rankings. This is an ordinal comparison, not a per-capita rate. States with missing years are excluded. For Lucas the lowest observed averages are in Florida, New York, New Jersey.
Lowest observed average rank
| # | State | Avg rank | Imported count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | #3 | 9,860 |
| 2 | New York | #4 | 9,029 |
| 3 | New Jersey | #4 | 4,412 |
| 4 | Maryland | #6 | 2,316 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | #6 | 497 |
| 6 | Connecticut | #7 | 1,537 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | #7 | 3,148 |
| 8 | Virginia | #8 | 3,449 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | #8 | 4,583 |
| 10 | Michigan | #9 | 3,513 |
Highest observed average rank
| # | State | Avg rank | Imported count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | #52 | 212 |
| 2 | Mississippi | #48 | 559 |
| 3 | South Dakota | #32 | 261 |
| 4 | Alabama | #32 | 1,169 |
| 5 | Arkansas | #31 | 731 |
| 6 | Montana | #31 | 259 |
| 7 | Louisiana | #31 | 1,084 |
| 8 | West Virginia | #29 | 498 |
| 9 | Arizona | #28 | 1,838 |
| 10 | Nebraska | #27 | 569 |
Source: SSA state-level baby-name dataset 2016–2025. Only states with all 10 annual observations for this spelling and recorded sex are compared. Missing states are excluded, not assigned zero. Average rank measures position in state rankings, not a per-capita rate. Local import filters and SSA privacy limits can both create gaps. Coverage and limitations.
Related Forms in This Catalog
Open each form for its own meaning, language history, and exact-spelling usage records.
| Name |
|---|
| Lukas |
Looking for names like Lucas?
A dedicated page with 60+ related names — spelling variants, rhymes, alliterations, same-origin matches, and shared meaning concepts — lives at its own URL so each kind of similarity gets a deeper treatment than fits here.
Compare Lucas to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Lucas against names with the largest imported counts for boys-name peers (top 8 with every year imported, 2016–2025). Names with missing annual observations are excluded from this comparison.
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