Explore the Family Name Luke
The meaning of Luke
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Luke or Luck, vernacular forms of Lucas. 2. English: from the Middle English personal name Louke, a shortened form of Lovecok, an English pet form of the Anglo-Norman French personal name Lou, Leu, Love (see Love). 3. English (of Flemish origin): habitational name from Liège in Belgium (Dutch Luik). 4. English: shortened form of Levick. 5. North German (Lüke): from a short form of the personal name Lüdeke; see Luedecke. 6. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 陸 (see Lu 5) and 駱 (see Luo 2).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Luke in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Luke" saw subtle changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Luke ranked at 1940 in terms of popularity and it slipped to 1961 by 2010, marking a slight decrease of 1.08%. However, the total count of individuals with this surname increased from 17,016 in 2000 to 18,425 in 2010, an increase of 8.28%. The proportion of people named Luke per 100k also experienced a minor decrease from 6.31 in 2000 to 6.25 in 2010, falling by -0.95%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,940 | #1,961 | -1.08% |
| Count | 17,016 | 18,425 | 8.28% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.31 | 6.25 | -0.95% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Luke
Examining the ethnicity associated with the surname "Luke", it's evident that there were some shifts between 2000 and 2010 as reported by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest ethnic identity tied to the name was White, although its percentage dropped slightly from 75.28% in 2000 to 72.59% in 2010. The second most common ethnic identity was Black, increasing from 14.14% in 2000 to 15.19% in 2010. There was a notable increase in the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic (from 2.00% to 3.01%) and those reporting two or more races (from 2.13% to 3.10%). Meanwhile, the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders decreased from 5.39% to 4.98%, and American Indian and Alaskan Natives showed a small increase from 1.06% to 1.14%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75.28% | 72.59% | -3.57% |
| Black | 14.14% | 15.19% | 7.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 5.39% | 4.98% | -7.61% |
| Two or More Races | 2.13% | 3.1% | 45.54% |
| Hispanic | 2% | 3.01% | 50.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.06% | 1.14% | 7.55% |
Luke 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 Luke is British & Irish, which comprises 47.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Eastern European (5.7%). Additional ancestries include Chinese, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 47.4% |
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Eastern European | 5.7% |
| Other | 26.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Luke
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 Luke have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 76.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 76.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 76.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 76.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 76.00% |
What Luke 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 Luke is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-L2, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lloyd, Phillips, Richards, Davis, Oliver, Jones, Cross, Morris, Davies, Thomas.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Luke 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 Luke 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.
"Luke" Surname 42.9%
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.
"Luke" Surname 34.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Luke" Surname 28.3%
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.
"Luke" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Luke?
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 Luke are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition