Given name & surname
Luc
“man from Lucania”·“a man from Lucania”
Luc is a variant of Luke. Interpretations include “man from Lucania” and “a man from Lucania” (Greek). These may reflect different naming traditions. In French use, Luc has a related form in Lucas. One English interpretation is “a man from Lucania.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Luc is a variant of Luke. Interpretations include “man from Lucania” and “a man from Lucania” (Greek). These may reflect different naming traditions. In French use, Luc has a related form in Lucas. One English interpretation is “a man from Lucania.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Luc is a variant of Luke. An origin associated with Luke is Greek. In French use, Luc has a related form in Lucas. An origin associated with Lucas is English.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In French use, Luc is used as a form of Luke.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1949. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Luc through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,614
- 3,614 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2002
- 172 babies
- 2025
- 33
- #3,483 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 33 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,483 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 34.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 172 in 2002. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,827 as a first name in 2020; 2,899 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Luc’s family of names
Luc shares a linguistic root with Luke. In French usage, Luc has a related form in Lucas. Luc has a related form in Luke.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Luc has relatives in 37 languages.
23 related names in 37 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 26
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Luc
- Luc BessonFrench filmmaker (born 1959)
- Luc MontagnierFrench virologist and joint recipient of the Nobel Prize of Physiology or Medicine (2008)1932–2022
- Luc de Clapiers, marquis de VauvenarguesFrench writer, a moralist (1715-1747)
- Luc FriedenPrime Minister of Luxembourg since 2023born 1963
- Luc AbaloFrench handball playerborn 1984
- Luc NilisBelgian association football playerborn 1967
- Luc CastaignosDutch association football player (born 1992)
- The Singing NunBelgian nun and musician1933–1985
- Luc de FougerollesCanadian soccer playerborn 2005
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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