Will my child share the name Luke with classmates?

Unlikely. With around 380 UK babies named Luke per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Luke in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.

Is Luke becoming more or less popular in the UK?

Luke has been fairly steady, ranked #131 in 2025 against #109 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #11 in 1997.

What does the name Luke mean?

The name Luke has Greek origins and means "Light-giving". Names with clear etymological roots tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles and give children a story to tell about their name.

Who are some famous people named Luke?

Notable people named Luke include: Luke Norris (actor), Luke Egan and Luke Thompson (actor).

Is Luke a popular baby name in the United States?

Luke ranks #34 in the US (2024), comfortably inside the American top 100.

👦 Boy's name 📊 Moderately Common UK #131

Luke

🗳️ Add Luke to a family shortlist

Luke sits comfortably in the UK charts at #131 in 2025 — recognisable but not overwhelming. Your child may occasionally share their name.

Origin & Meaning

Greek — Light-giving

📊

UK Rank 2025

#131

US Rank #33

About the Name Luke

Luke is gradually declining in popularity, having dropped 29 places over five years. Its high point was #11 in 1997, and it now sits at #138. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has spent 24 of the last 30 years inside the UK top 100 — a mark of enduring mainstream appeal.

In terms of origin, Luke is rooted in Greek, where it means "Light-giving". Names with strong etymological stories tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles.

Luke is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Luke in their class.

In the US it ranks even higher at #34, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.

⭐ Famous People Named Luke

Luke Norris (actor) — Luke Norris is an English actor best known for playing Dr Dwight Enys in Poldark.
Luke Egan — Luke Egan is an Australian professional surfer who competed on the Association of Surfing Professionals Men's World Tour.
Luke Thompson (actor) — Luke Thompson is an English actor.

Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.