What does Luca mean?
Luca is the Italian form of Luke, from the Greek Loukas, “from Lucania.” It is a top boys’ name in Italy and increasingly beyond.
What does Giovanni mean?
Giovanni is the Italian form of John, “God is gracious.”
Luca vs Giovanni
Which is more popular?
Luca is more popular than Giovanni today: about 8,759 US babies were given the name Luca in 2025, compared with 2,939 named Giovanni.
| Luca | Giovanni | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | From Lucania; light | God is gracious |
| Origin | Italian | Italian |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | LOO-kah | joh-VAH-nee |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1915 | 1907 |
| Peak year | 2025 (8,759) | 2010 (3,434) |
| In 2025 | 8,759 | 2,939 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Luca
Giovanni
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Luca | Giovanni |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 44,138 | 17,879 |
| 2010s | 24,939 | 30,418 |
| 2000s | 7,233 | 24,227 |
| 1990s | 720 | 10,931 |
| 1980s | 252 | 3,359 |
| 1970s | 121 | 1,418 |
| 1960s | 48 | 579 |
| 1950s | 0 | 153 |
| 1940s | 5 | 20 |
| 1930s | 0 | 56 |
| 1920s | 41 | 135 |
| 1910s | 24 | 175 |
| 1900s | 0 | 18 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Luca or Giovanni more popular?
Luca is more popular than Giovanni today: about 8,759 US babies were given the name Luca in 2025, compared with 2,939 named Giovanni.
What is the difference between Luca and Giovanni?
Luca means From Lucania; light (Italian origin), while Giovanni means God is gracious (Italian origin).
Which name is older, Luca or Giovanni?
In US records, Luca first appears in 1915 and Giovanni in 1907, so Giovanni has the longer recorded history.