Luca Name Meaning

Read this post to explore Luca name meaning with other analyses. Find out if this name is common or rare, if it is a name for boys or girls, or if it is a religious name. I’ll answer everything you are concerned about the name Luca.

Researching the name that you intend to give your child is the right thing to do. Besides, parents should also choose a name that matches the baby’s surname and bear great meaning. Let’s see whether the name Luca meets your expectations.

Meaning Behind The Name — What is the meaning behind the name Luca? Is this a rare name?

The Overview Of The Name Luca

I’ve gathered general information in this table so that it’s easy for you to follow. Scroll down for more details.

Meaning	The name Luca means “light”, “sacred wood”, and “man from Luciana”.
Origin	It can come from the Latin name Lucas or originate from the word lucus. In addition, it’s also believed to have its root in Italian.
Pronunciation	loo-ka
Gender	It is commonly a boy’s name in Latin America, Italy, Spain, etc. Meanwhile, it’s frequently a girl’s name in Hungary and Croatia. So overall, Luca can be seen as a gender-neutral name.
Popularity	In 2021, the name reached the 42nd most common name for boys in the United States.
Variations	Luke, Lukas, Loukas, Louka, etc.
Nicknames	Lu, Lou, Luce, Luke, etc.
Similar names	Lucius, Liam, Luna, Olive, etc.
Middle names	*For Boys:* Alexander, Blake, Monroe, Jackson, etc. For Girls: Carmen, Taylor, Finley, Quinn, etc.
Sibling names	*For Boys:* Anthony, Dominic, Christopher, Silas, etc. For Girls: Gianna, Arianna, Sophia, Giuliana, etc.

What Is The Meaning And Origin Of The Name Luca?

Luca is a Latin name derived from the name Lucas meaning “light”. Also, it can be another version of the Latin word lucus, which means “sacred wood”.

Besides the Latin origin, some people believe the name Luca indicates “man from Luciana” in Italian. Luciana is well-known as a historical neighborhood in Southern Italy.

Is Luca A Figure In The Bible?

The name Luca doesn’t refer to any figure in the Bible. However, Saint Luke, a biblical figure, helped make the name common among Christians.

Saint Luke, or Luke the Evangelist, is one of the Four Evangelists. He is also well-known as a patron saint of artists, surgeons, physicians, bachelors, students, etc.

Is Luca A Girl Or Boy Name?

Luca is predominantly a boy name, but this also varies in some areas. For instance, it’s primarily a masculine name in Latin America, Portugal, Italy, Spain, and Romania. Nevertheless, Hungarian and Croatian parents love to choose Luca for their baby girls.

The pronunciation of the masculine name Luca differs from the feminine one. While Luca is most frequently pronounced loo-ka, Hungarian and Croatian pronounce it lutsa. As a result, parents can give the name Luca to both boys and girls.

How Popular Is The Name Luca?

In the United States, Luca started to gain popularity as a common boy name in the early 21st century. In the first decade of the century, it was in the top 300 frequently used names for baby boys. Until 2019, it entered the top 100 most popular names.

The highest number of newborns with the name Luca was recorded in 2021. That year, it peaked at the 42nd rank with 6847 boys named Luca. That’s proof that the popularity of this name has been increasing in recent times ⁽¹⁾.

What Are Other Variations Of Luca?

The name Luca is universally common. That’s why its variations are various from many cultures worldwide.

Luke (Biblical)
Lukas (Danish)
Loukas (Greek)
Louka (French)
Luka (Polish)
Luc (Welsh)
Luuk (Dutch)
Lluc (Catalan)

What Are Cool Nicknames For Luca?

Which Shortened Names — Let’s see which shortened names you can use to call your sweetheart.

It’s undeniable that parents will love to pick a name having many cute nicknames. Here are some shortened nicknames for Luca.

Lu
Lou
Luce
Luke
Luki

Which Names Are Similar To Luca?

I have compiled some names for both genders that sound similar to Luca. You can take a quick look at their meanings and origins below.

Names	Pronunciation	Meaning	Origin
Lucius	loo-see-us	Light	Latin
Liam	lee-um	Desire, guardian, helmet, protector, and boss	Irish
Luna	loo-nuh	Moon	Latin
Olive	ahl-iv or ol-iv	Olive tree	Latin
Olivia	oh-live-ee-ah	Olive, olive tree, and peace	Latin
Micah	mai-kuh	Who is like God?	Hebrew
Declan	deh-klin or deh-klun	Man of prayer and full of goodness	Irish
Noah	noh-uh	Repose or rest	Hebrew

Which Middle Names Go Great With Luca?

Luca is a common name, but you can make your child’s full name unique by picking a good middle name. I have chosen some outstanding options here that you may want to use.

For Sons

There are many ways to choose a good middle name for your sons. However, the easiest one is to research and pick the name you feel is suitable.

Alexander: Derived from the Greek name Alexandros, the name means “defender” or “protector of man”. The name is also related to the king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great.
Blake: Blake can be a boy’s and girl’s name coming from Old English. It’s believed to be a derived version of the nickname Blac, referring to “one who has dark hair or skin”. Plus, they also mean “pale hair or skin”.
Monroe: Monroe is a masculine Scottish name, and its meaning can be “mouth of the River Roe”. As for the River Roe, its location is in Northern Ireland. People also call it the Red River since they found significant amounts of iron along the river.
Jackson: Jackson means “son of Jack”. Nevertheless, because Jack is a variant of the name John, Jackson can be understood as “son of John”. It’s also a common surname in English-speaking countries.
Timothy: Its root is from the Greek name Timotheos which translates to “one who honors God”. Other variations can be Tim, Timo, or notably Timothée, the name of a famous American actor, Timothée Chalamet.
Charles: With the meaning of “free man”, Charles is a common name in English and French-speaking countries. Its feminine variations include Charlotte, Charlene, and Caroline.

For Daughters

If you find it difficult to choose a middle name for girls named Luca, don’t worry since I have listed some options here.

Carmen: On one hand, Carmen originates from the nickname Carmel and Carmelo meaning “God’s vineyard” in Spanish and Italian. On the other hand, it can be “poem” or “ode” in Latin. Also, this name is gender-neutral.
Taylor: The most prominent bearer of the name is an American singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift. The name indicates “tailor” and is common in many countries such as England and Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, etc.
Finley: Finley is a gender-neutral name rooted in the Gaelic name Fionnlagh. It combines fionn (meaning “white” or “fair”) and laoch (meaning “warrior” or “hero”). You can understand its meaning as “fair warrior”.
Quinn: Taken from the Irish surname Ó Coinn or Mac Cuin, the name Quinn can be interpreted as “descendant of Conn”. The meaning of Conn can be “intellect”, “king”, “chief”, queen”, etc.
Lee: This unisex name is a derived version of the word “leah” which means “clearing” or “meadow”. Some famous female namesakes are Lee Kiefer (American Fencer), Lee Korzits (Israeli world champion windsurfer), etc.
Daisy: Daisy was popular as a flower name in the late Victorian era. In the Baby Name Bible book, people believe Daisy has a connection with “fresh, wholesome, and energetic”. Besides, Daisy can also mean “day’s eye”.

Suggested Names For Luca’s Siblings

If Luca is your first child, you can choose these names below as Luca’s sibling names. These names sound perfect to go with Luca.

Siblings' Names — Find out which siblings’ names complement Luca the best.

For Boys

If your next child is a son, let’s consider one of these names. They do not only match the name Luca but also imply amazing meanings.

Anthony: Anthony is derived from the Roman family name Antonius. The meaning of the name is uncertain, but some believe it can be “priceless one” or “highly praiseworthy”.
Christopher: It’s a Greek boy name taken from the name Christophoros or Christoforos. The name conveys “Christ-bearer” and has been common since the 10th century.
Dominic: Dominic is a boy’s name of Latin origin with the meaning of “lordly”, “belonging to God”, or “of the Master”. The name is associated with Saint Dominic and Saint Dominic of Silos.
Silas: Silas (pronounced as sigh-lus or sigh-liss) is a cognate of Silvanus, which means “of the forest”. Besides, Silas is also a companion of the Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey, according to the Bible.
Arlo: You can understand the meaning of this Old English name as “from the hill fort”. Arlo is also the name of a young green Apatosaurus in the animated film The Good Dinosaur 2015.
Walter: Walter is a variant of the Old High German name Walthari. It combines two elements: “wald” meaning “power” or “ruler” and “hari” meaning “army”. Therefore, parents can understand it as “army ruler” or “powerful ruler”.

For Girls

How about Luca’s younger sisters? I bet these names won’t disappoint your expectations. Let’s find out what they are.

Gianna: This girl’s name is a variant of Giovanna and conveys “God is gracious”. Despite the origin of Italian, this name is very common in the United States when it ranked 13th most often picked name in 2021.
Giuliana: Giuliana (pronounced as joo-lee-ah-nah) is an Italian girl’s name derived from the Latin Iuliana. The meaning of Giuliana is “youthful” or “graceful”.
Sophia: With the meaning of “wisdom”, Sophia has become a Greek name since the 4th century. This name has a connection with Saint Sophia, the mother of Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Isabella: This is another suitable name option for Christain baby girls since this name means “God is my abundance” or “God is my oath”. Plus, a cute nickname for Isabella can be Bella.
Arianna: Arianna, Arianna, or Ariane means “most holy”. Its root comes from the Ancient Greek name Ariadne, a Cretan princess and wife of Dionysusin (an ancient Greek god) in Greek mythology.
Emma: The name Emma is associated with many notable celebrities. However, not many know this name taken from Germanic and referring to “whole” and “universal”.

Luca In Pop Culture

I’m sure you have accidentally heard of this name at least once. That’s because it’s quite popular as the name of fictional characters from video games to films.

Luca Abele: An antagonist in the action-adventure video game Dishonored 2.
Luca Brasi: A character in Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather and the 1972 film adaptation.
Luca Raregroove/Lucia Raregroove: A primary antagonist in the Japanese manga and anime series Rave Master.
Luca Paguro: A sea monster boy of the film Luca produced by Pixar in 2021.
Luca Esposito: A character in the Japanese manga series and anime adaptation Astra Lost in Space.
Luca Lomans: A character portrayed by Yara Veyt in the Belgian teen drama web series wtFOCK.

Luca – Namesakes

Notable people bearing the name Luca are predominantly Italian. Besides, other name bearers may come from Switzerland, Germany, France, etc.

Luca Attanasio (1977–2021): Italian diplomat
Luca Giordano (1634–1705): Italian painter
Luca Parmitano (born 1976): Italian astronaut
Luca “Luke” Pasqualino (born 1990): British actor
Luca Sbisa (born 1990): Swiss ice hockey player
Luca Waldschmidt (born 1996): German football player
Luca Zidane (born 1998): French football player
Luca Ekler (born 1998): Hungarian athlete
Luca Ivanković (born 1987): Croatian basketball player
Luca Sardelis (born 2001): Australian actress of Greek descent

FAQs

Here are my answers to some questions relating to Luca. Don’t skip this part because it can help you widen your knowledge about the name.

The name Luca can be given to girls and boys. Meanwhile, there are some feminine name variations including Lucy, Lucia, Lucija, etc.

Besides the widely accepted meaning of “light” or “sacred wood”, Luca or Lucas may also come from the Greek word “lykos”, meaning “wolf”. Some say wolves guided the ancient Lucani tribe during the immigration.

The number of births with the name Lucas is more than that of Luca. The Social Security Administration reports that Lucas ranked the 8th most common boy’s name in 2021.

If you are wondering which masculine name with the meaning relating to “light”, there are some options for you: Luciano, Uriel, Abner, Nimai, Charandeep, etc.

Children born with the name Luca usually possess sympathetic, kind, and compassionate hearts. Their most admirable trait is sacrifice.

What Do You Think About The Name?

Do you think the name Luca is special? Will you give it to your child? Or, if you have questions about this name? Let me and other readers know your thoughts in the comment below so that they can give you some recommendations.

If you enjoy this post, share it with your friends and family and discuss whether this name suits your baby-to-be. You can also read other name-meaning articles on the website to get more name ideas. Thank you!

References

Social Security. 2022. Popularity of a Name.

Helen Doanna

Editor in Chief, Educational Specialist, and Senior Content Creator

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Child Development Specialist, Child-care Coordinator, Family Support Specialist, Content Writer, Communications Specialist, Educational Consultant, STEAM Teacher

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1. University of Social Science and Humanity, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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2. University of Social Science and Humanity, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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Helen is an experienced educational specialist and content creator, known for her innovative approach to children’s learning. With a background in literature and child development, she composes engaging educational content for SimpleKids.net. Her work emphasizes creativity, engagement, and simplicity, aiming to make learning enjoyable and accessible for children and their families.