| Lucas | Mark | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light-bringing; from Lucania | Of Mars |
| Origin | Latin | Latin |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | LOO-kus | MARK |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1881 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2017 (13,032) | 1960 (58,727) |
| In 2025 | 10,219 | 1,416 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Lucas | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 65,795 | 8,658 |
| 2010s | 118,661 | 21,108 |
| 2000s | 70,995 | 37,257 |
| 1990s | 38,178 | 75,816 |
| 1980s | 26,088 | 129,442 |
| 1970s | 8,817 | 194,260 |
| 1960s | 857 | 441,390 |
| 1950s | 339 | 382,589 |
| 1940s | 256 | 50,731 |
| 1930s | 254 | 7,444 |
| 1920s | 403 | 6,495 |
| 1910s | 286 | 4,134 |
| 1900s | 55 | 971 |
| 1890s | 67 | 953 |
| 1880s | 41 | 928 |
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.”
Mark comes from the Roman name Marcus, probably derived from Mars, the god of war. Mark the Evangelist is credited with the second Gospel.
Lucas is more popular than Mark today: about 10,219 US babies were given the name Lucas in 2025, compared with 1,416 named Mark.
Lucas means Light-bringing; from Lucania (Latin origin), while Mark means Of Mars (Latin origin).
In US records, Lucas first appears in 1881 and Mark in 1880, so Mark has the longer recorded history.