Caleb
Hebrew
“dog; whole heart”
Mostly boys · Latin form of Luke
“man from Lucania”
Say it LOO-kusPronunciation may vary by region.
A little maybe, saved for later.
The story behind the name
The Latin derivation of the Greek Loukas, the name's meaning references Lucania, an ancient territory in Southern Italy. Along with Luke, Lucas is also related to international name star Luca, while the similar Lucius and Lucian derive from a different root and have a different meaning.
Lucas has long been a favorite of TV scriptwriters, from the early black-and-white days of The Rifleman (Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain) to the schoolteacher series Lucas Tanner to the more contemporary One Tree Hill. On the literary side, the name appears as Lucas Beauchamp in William Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust and Light in August.
Lucas Cranach was an important German Renaissance painter and printmaker; Lucas Samaras is an eccentric Greek-born American contemporary artist. Some will associate the name with director George Lucas.
A little perspective
Recorded US births over time
| Year | Category | US rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Boys | 10 | 10,219 |
| 2025 | Girls | 10,570 | 9 |
| 2024 | Boys | 9 | 10,743 |
| 2024 | Girls | 10,757 | 9 |
| 2023 | Boys | 9 | 10,890 |
| 2023 | Girls | 10,044 | 10 |
| 2022 | Boys | 8 | 10,973 |
| 2022 | Girls | 7,160 | 16 |
| 2021 | Boys | 8 | 11,584 |
| 2021 | Girls | 16,732 | 5 |
| 2020 | Boys | 8 | 11,386 |
| 2020 | Girls | 12,938 | 7 |
| 2019 | Boys | 8 | 12,483 |
| 2019 | Girls | 6,317 | 19 |
| 2018 | Boys | 8 | 12,665 |
| 2018 | Girls | 6,415 | 19 |
| 2017 | Boys | 11 | 13,032 |
| 2017 | Girls | 9,119 | 12 |
| 2016 | Boys | 14 | 12,906 |
| 2016 | Girls | 9,810 | 11 |
| 2015 | Boys | 16 | 12,331 |
| 2015 | Girls | 7,471 | 16 |
| 2014 | Boys | 19 | 12,175 |
| 2014 | Girls | 12,622 | 8 |
Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.
No nicknames are listed yet. The name can stand beautifully on its own.
Keep the possibilities coming
More names with a similar feeling or shared roots.
Hebrew
“dog; whole heart”
Hebrew
“Yahweh is God”
Hebrew
“strong, firm”
English variation of Jacob, Hebrew
“supplanter”
Latin
“lion”
Irish short form of William
“resolute protection”