Luca
Meaning of Luca
Luca is the Italian form of the Latin name Lucas, which derives from the Greek Loukas. Standard name dictionaries explain it as “man from Lucania,” an ancient region of southern Italy. The resemblance to the Latin lux, “light,” has led some sources to gloss the name as “light,” but that is a popular interpretation rather than the accepted etymology. Luca is the Italian equivalent of Luke, and the name is also used in Romanian and Hungarian.
It is pronounced LOO-kah in Italian, with the stress on the first syllable, and Romanian speakers say it the same way. In Hungarian the c is softened, giving LOO-tsah.
The best-known bearer is Luke the Evangelist, to whom the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles are attributed; Luca is the form his name takes in Italian scripture and art. Among contemporary namesakes are the film director Luca Guadagnino and the astronaut Luca Parmitano, the first Italian to command the International Space Station.
In the United States the name was given to 8,759 boys in 2025, when it ranked 14th. That position caps a steep climb: in 1990 it ranked 2,214th with 32 boys, and in 2000 it stood at 626th. It entered the top 100 in 2019 and reached the top 25 in 2023.
Pronunciation
Romanian
- Pronunced as LOO-kah (/lu.kä//)
Italian
- Pronunced as LOO-kah (/luːkɑ//)
Hungarian
- Pronunced as LOO-tsah (/lut͡sɒ//)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Luca
| Luca Guadagnino is an acclaimed Italian film director and producer known for emotionally complex, sensual stories and lavish visuals, honored with a Silver Lion and nominations for an Academy Award and three BAFTA Awards. |
| Italian former striker Luca Toni scored 322 career goals to rank fourth among Italian scorers and earned 47 caps for Italy with 16 goals. |
| Luca de Samuele Cagnazzi was an Italian archdeacon, scientist, mathematician, and political economist who wrote on pedagogy and invented the tonograph. |
| Luca Parmitano is an Italian ESA astronaut and Italian Air Force colonel and test pilot who became the first Italian to command the International Space Station during Expedition 61. |
| Luca Zaia is an Italian politician and longtime Lega Nord member, President of Veneto since 2010, known for progressive stances on climate action, transgender rights, combating homophobia and antisemitism, and a welcoming approach to migrant integration. |
| Luca Attanasio was an Italian diplomat who served as ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2017 until his murder in 2021. |
| Luca Carboni is an Italian singer and songwriter who debuted in 1981 as a guitarist with Teobaldi Rock, released his first solo album in 1984, and is also a painter and carpenter. |
| Luca Marini is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer who will race for Honda HRC Castrol in 2024 and 2025. |
| Luca Marinelli is an Italian actor best known for Martin Eden, The Old Guard, and Diabolik. |
| Luca Chirico is an Italian former professional racing cyclist who competed from 2014 to 2022. |
| Luca Parodi is an Italian footballer for Serie B club Virtus Entella. |
| Luca Falbo is an Italian professional footballer who plays left back for Ravenna in Serie C Group B. |
| Luca Sperandio is an Italian rugby union player known for his position as a Wing and his current team Rovigo Delta in Italian Serie A Elite. |
