Luke ( /ˈluːk/) is a male given name, and less commonly, a surname.
Some commentaries suggest that the name is derived from the Latin name Lucas, meaning 'man from Lucania, (a region of Italy). However, the earliest known recording of the name is from the Bible which was in existence before the Latin language was prominent. The Gospel of Luke was written around AD 70 to 90, and it is from here that the name was first popularised. Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke, was a physician who lived around AD 30 to 130 (exact years are not known), and he also wrote the Book of Acts in the Bible. Luke is also mentioned by the Apostle Paul in some of the letters Paul wrote to first-century churches.
Luke is the 21st most popular name for new babies in England and Wales, the 43rd most popular name for new babies in the United States, and the 2,105th most common surname in the US, with 15,000 people (0.006%) sharing the surname.
| 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 1998 |
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| 25th | 21st | 17th | 13th | 15th | 14th | 13th |
| 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 | 1987 |
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| 43rd | 41st | 41st | 46th | 46th | 50th | 59th | 67th | 75th | 78th | 75th | 82nd | 91st | 87th | 93rd | 113th | 118th | 121st | 119th | 111th |
Read more about Luke: Variants in Other Languages, People Known As Luke
Famous quotes containing the word luke:
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven...”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 6:37.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 6:32.
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 18:13.