| Lucas | Leo | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light-bringing; from Lucania | Lion |
| Origin | Latin | Latin |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | LOO-kus | LEE-oh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1881 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2017 (13,032) | 2022 (8,293) |
| In 2025 | 10,219 | 8,173 |
| Trend | Steady | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Lucas | Leo |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 65,795 | 47,481 |
| 2010s | 118,661 | 44,706 |
| 2000s | 70,995 | 12,274 |
| 1990s | 38,178 | 4,738 |
| 1980s | 26,088 | 4,541 |
| 1970s | 8,817 | 5,365 |
| 1960s | 857 | 9,487 |
| 1950s | 339 | 15,536 |
| 1940s | 256 | 16,962 |
| 1930s | 254 | 22,864 |
| 1920s | 403 | 36,960 |
| 1910s | 286 | 26,656 |
| 1900s | 55 | 5,629 |
| 1890s | 67 | 4,691 |
| 1880s | 41 | 2,098 |
Lucas is the Latin form of Luke, from Loukas — most often understood as “from Lucania” in southern Italy, and popularly associated with the Latin lux, “light.”
Leo is the Latin word for “lion,” long associated with courage and strength, and shared with the zodiac sign.
Lucas is more popular than Leo today: about 10,219 US babies were given the name Lucas in 2025, compared with 8,173 named Leo.
Lucas means Light-bringing; from Lucania (Latin origin), while Leo means Lion (Latin origin).
In US records, Lucas first appears in 1881 and Leo in 1880, so Leo has the longer recorded history.