Lucas

Lucas is the Latin form of Luke, rooted in Lucania, the ancient region that curled along the arch of Italy's boot — though the folk etymology, the one everyone prefers, connects it to lux, light. The evangelist Luke gave the name its Gospel warmth; George Lucas gave it a galaxy. For nearly two decades now, Lucas has held a place in the American top ten, the kind of name that feels both ancient and newly minted. Two syllables, the c softening to a kiss. It travels cleanly through Portuguese, Spanish, French, English, and Dutch. Bright, bookish, and a little bit cinematic.