Explore the Family Name Lucas
The meaning of Lucas
1. English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and African American: from the Latin personal name Lucas (Greek Loukas) ‘man from Lucania’. Lucania is a region of southern Italy thought to have been named in ancient times with a word meaning ‘bright’ or ‘shining’ (compare Lucio). The Christian name owed its enormous popularity throughout Europe in the Middle Ages to Saint Luke the Evangelist, hence the development of this surname and many vernacular derivatives in most of the languages of Europe. In North America, this surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, e.g. Greek Loukas, Hungarian Lukács (see Lukacs), German, Dutch, etc. Lukas, Polish Łukasz, Czech and Slovak Lukáš, Czech Lukeš, Slovenian and Croatian Lukež (see Lukes). Compare Lucus, Luke, and Locust 2. 2. Scottish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Lùcais (see McLucas). History: Jacques Lucas dit Lépine from Port-en-Bessin-Huppain in Calvados, France, married Françoise Capel in Trois-Rivières, QC, in 1653.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lucas in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Lucas experienced a minor decrease in rank from 275 in 2000 to 286 in 2010, marking a -4.0 change. However, the count of individuals with the Lucas surname increased by 7.24 percent from 100,417 to 107,690 during the same period. The proportion per 100k slightly declined from 37.22 to 36.51, reflecting a -1.91 change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #275 | #286 | -4% |
| Count | 100,417 | 107,690 | 7.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 37.22 | 36.51 | -1.91% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lucas
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides an insight into the ethnic identity associated with the Lucas surname. In 2010, the majority identified as White (69.10%), followed by Black (18.51%), and Hispanic (8.05%). From 2000 to 2010, there was a significant increase in the percentage of Hispanics identifying with the Lucas surname (from 4.53% to 8.05%), representing a 77.70% change. There were also slight increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and of two or more races. On the other hand, the proportion of individuals identifying as White saw a small decline from 73.57% to 69.10%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.57% | 69.1% | -6.08% |
| Black | 18.33% | 18.51% | 0.98% |
| Hispanic | 4.53% | 8.05% | 77.7% |
| Two or More Races | 1.72% | 2.19% | 27.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.35% | 1.63% | 20.74% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.5% | 0.52% | 4% |
Lucas ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Lucas is British & Irish, which comprises 45.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.6%) and Eastern European (7.5%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Scandinavian, Nigerian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.6% |
| French & German | 22.6% |
| Eastern European | 7.5% |
| Other | 24.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Lucas
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Lucas have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 78.20% |
What Lucas haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Lucas is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Brown, Young, Wilson, Miller, Hill, Taylor, Clark, Green, Johnson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lucas surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Lucas have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Lucas" Surname 42.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Lucas" Surname 27.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lucas" Surname 23.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Lucas" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lucas?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Lucas are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition