Fun Facts About the Name Luka
- Gaining ground: Luka remained in the U.S. top 100 for 3 consecutive years, from 2023 through 2025. In 2025, it gained 9 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
- More than 29 thousand babies named Luka: U.S. records list 29,502 babies given the name Luka from 1880 through 2025. Even 562 girls received the name Luka - about 1 girl for every 51 boys.
What Does the Name Luka Mean?
Luka is a masculine given name that corresponds to Luke. Its established meaning is "from Lucania," a region of southern Italy. The name goes back to the Greek Loukás (Λουκᾶς), usually understood as a short form of the Latin Lucanus, "of Lucania." The origin of the place name Lucania itself is not settled; it has been connected to Greek leukós, "white," and to Latin lucus, "grove."
A second, popular explanation links the name to Latin lux (genitive lucis), "light," and treats "light" as its meaning. That is a symbolic reading built on a similar sound, not the literal etymology. Luka is the standard form of the evangelist's name in Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian, Macedonian, and Bulgarian, and it is also used in Georgian; Czech and Slovak use Lukáš instead. A similarly spelled Japanese feminine name, written with various kanji, is unrelated to the Greek and Latin name.
Luka Name History & Origins
The name spread through Europe by way of Luke the Evangelist, the traditional author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. His name appears in Greek as Loukás and in Latin as Lucas. Because Luke was a companion of Paul and a venerated saint, his name entered Christian naming traditions in both the Greek-speaking and Latin-speaking churches.
As Slavic-speaking peoples converted to Christianity, they adopted saint names from Byzantine Greek. The evangelist's name entered this tradition as Luka, and it remains the standard form in Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian, Macedonian, and Bulgarian. The same form is used in Georgian, where the evangelist is honored under that name. Czech and Slovak took a different shape, Lukáš.
Western European languages developed their forms from the Latin Lucas, giving Luke in English, Luc in French, Luca in Italian, and Lucas in Spanish and Portuguese. Luka therefore belongs to the Slavic and Georgian branch of the same tradition rather than being a borrowing of the English name. It is a common given name in Croatia and Slovenia today; bearers include the Croatian footballer Luka Modrić and the Slovenian basketball player Luka Dončić.
How Popular is the Name Luka?
Luka recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Luka entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,174 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 2024 | #6,797 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 2023 | #5,321 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 2022 | #5,409 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #4,374 | 32 | 0.0020% |
| 2020 | #4,502 | 30 | 0.0019% |
| 2019 | #6,099 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2018 | #4,841 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2017 | #4,541 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2016 | #4,930 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2015 | #4,359 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2014 | #7,512 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2013 | #5,418 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2012 | #6,491 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2011 | #5,651 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2010 | #7,092 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2009 | #6,226 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2008 | #6,967 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2007 | #7,612 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #6,153 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #7,664 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #6,781 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #11,744 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #16,867 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #10,392 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #9,993 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #11,297 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #8,866 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #6,580 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #85 | 3,873 | 0.2267% |
| 2024 | #94 | 3,697 | 0.2155% |
| 2023 | #95 | 3,655 | 0.2139% |
| 2022 | #117 | 3,301 | 0.1892% |
| 2021 | #115 | 3,207 | 0.1834% |
| 2020 | #161 | 2,344 | 0.1359% |
| 2019 | #221 | 1,704 | 0.0950% |
| 2018 | #321 | 1,049 | 0.0578% |
| 2017 | #440 | 706 | 0.0382% |
| 2016 | #470 | 649 | 0.0342% |
| 2015 | #524 | 550 | 0.0287% |
| 2014 | #559 | 494 | 0.0257% |
| 2013 | #586 | 433 | 0.0229% |
| 2012 | #638 | 375 | 0.0198% |
| 2011 | #748 | 303 | 0.0160% |
| 2010 | #727 | 316 | 0.0165% |
| 2009 | #782 | 291 | 0.0147% |
| 2008 | #777 | 286 | 0.0140% |
| 2007 | #749 | 298 | 0.0144% |
| 2006 | #809 | 252 | 0.0123% |
| 2005 | #868 | 212 | 0.0106% |
| 2004 | #851 | 209 | 0.0105% |
| 2003 | #1,068 | 146 | 0.0074% |
| 2002 | #1,181 | 119 | 0.0061% |
| 2001 | #1,176 | 117 | 0.0060% |
| 2000 | #1,442 | 86 | 0.0044% |
| 1999 | #2,385 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 1998 | #2,536 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 1997 | #2,951 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1996 | #3,946 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1995 | #3,514 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1994 | #4,028 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #3,207 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1992 | #4,248 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #4,652 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #5,237 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #5,432 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #5,522 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #5,260 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #5,335 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #5,939 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #6,890 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #5,508 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #5,350 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #5,193 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Luka Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Luka's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Luka's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.