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At a Glance: Name: Lucas – Meaning: associated with 'shining/light' (Latin lucere), though the name may instead derive from the region Lucania or the name Lucius – Origin: Latin (from Greek Loukas) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: LOO-kus
Lucas is a Latin name (from the Greek Loukas), pronounced LOO-kus. You'll often see it defined as "light," but that's not settled — some scholars treat the light connection as folk etymology, and Lucas may instead trace back to the region Lucania or the name Lucius. It's a timeless, classic name, one that's stayed familiar across generations rather than tied to a particular era.
Meaning & Origin of Lucas
Meaning: Associated with 'shining/light' (latin lucere), though the name may instead derive from the region lucania or the name lucius.
Origin: Latin (from Greek Loukas).
A common claim: Lucas is widely said to mean 'light' or 'bringer of light.' Actually: This gets repeated confidently, but it's not settled — like its cognate Luke, some scholars treat the lux/light link as folk etymology, and Lucas may instead trace back to the region Lucania or the name Lucius.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Lucas
Phonetic: LOO-kus IPA: /ˈluːkəs/
Popularity of Lucas
Lucas has held a steady spot near the top of the Social Security boy name rankings, peaking at #8 in 2018 with 12,659 babies given the name, and sitting at #9 in 2024 with 10,703 — a slight dip in count but still firmly in the top 10 across Social Security data going back to 1881.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1881–2024.
Make Lucas Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Lucas, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Lucas mean?
Associated with ‘shining/light’ (latin lucere), though the name may instead derive from the region lucania or the name lucius. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Lucas)
How do you pronounce Lucas?
Lucas is pronounced LOO-kus (IPA: /ˈluːkəs/).
Is Lucas a popular name right now?
Lucas is near its all-time peak (#8 in 2018), ranked #9 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1881–2024.)
📊 How popular is Lucas? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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