Luc

♂ Boy

Pronounced LUKE /ˈluk/High

Meaning: French form of Luke — Greek Loukas, 'man from Lucania', long associated with Latin lux, 'light'High

In 30 seconds: Luke with a beret: Luc is the French evangelist's name in three letters — region of Lucania by etymology, ray of light by association, art-house cinema by reputation.

💕 Browse more names

Origin HighFrench, Greek

MeaningFrench form of Luke — Greek Loukas, 'man from Lucania', long associated with Latin lux, 'light'

U.S. rank (2025)#3483 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births33 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2002

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,614

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Luc is the French Luke — Greek Loukas, 'man from Lucania', the physician-evangelist's name that folk-sense ties to lux, 'light'. France wears it solo and in compounds (Jean-Luc above all); filmmaker Luc Besson and a fleet of Québécois hockey players carry it across the Atlantic.

In the U.S. it is rare — Luke's minimalist passport, one letter lighter and one croissant warmer. Some American bearers say LOOK, honoring the French.

Did you know? Director Luc Besson and Jean-Luc Picard split this name's pop portfolio between French action cinema and the Starship Enterprise.

Overall data confidence 90%

Behind the Name — Luc — French form

Variations

LukeLucasLuca

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

★Luc Besson (1959–present)
French filmmaker of Léon: The Professional and The Fifth Element.

If you like Luc…

Luke— the English form of the same evangelist

Luca— the Italian brother riding its own wave

Lucian— the fellow light-rooted Latin revival

Jean— the French compound partner of Jean-Luc fame

Explore names like Luc

By themebiblical french short-and-sweet

By meaningLight

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Luc mean?

Luc is the French form of Luke, from Greek Loukas, 'man from Lucania', long associated with light.

How do you pronounce Luc?

In English it's said LUKE /ˈluk/ — one syllable; the French vowel is tighter.

Is Luc a boy or girl name?

Luc is a boy's name.

How popular is Luc?

Luc is rare in the U.S. and standard in francophone countries.