Luke
A surname from the given name Luke, ultimately from the Latin name Lucas, meaning “from Lucania” or “light-bringer,” depending on the etymological tradition.
The #1,961 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 16,757 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Luke is a surname formed from the common Christian given name Luke, which came into English through Latin Lucas and Greek Loukas. The name was widely used because of St. Luke the Evangelist, and surnames developed from it independently in several places. In older surname dictionaries, Luke is treated as the base form behind related family names such as Lukin, Luckins, Luckings, Luckock, Lucock, and Locock.
History
The surname is recorded as both a direct hereditary surname and as a source of later diminutive or variant forms. In English naming practice, it would have arisen in the medieval period from the popular baptismal name, especially after the spread of Christian saints’ names. Related forms are found in English regional records, showing how a short given name could generate multiple surname spellings over time.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old surname writers noted that Luke also spawned a whole cluster of nickname-like forms, including Luckock and Locock.
From the historical record
“LUGG. A river in Herefordshire. LUKE. The Christian name, besides standing ^jcr se as a family name, has given rise to several others, as Lukin, Luckins, Luckings, Luckock, Lucock, Locock, Luckett. LUKIN. LUKYN. See Luke. LUM. A woody valley,- a deep pit. Halliwell. LUMB. See Lum.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom