| Lucas | Patrick | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light-bringing; from Lucania | Nobleman |
| Origin | Latin | Latin |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | LOO-kus | PAT-rik |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1881 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2017 (13,032) | 1964 (14,692) |
| In 2025 | 10,219 | 1,495 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Lucas | Patrick |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 65,795 | 10,101 |
| 2010s | 118,661 | 25,312 |
| 2000s | 70,995 | 44,782 |
| 1990s | 38,178 | 92,931 |
| 1980s | 26,088 | 111,408 |
| 1970s | 8,817 | 91,240 |
| 1960s | 857 | 122,717 |
| 1950s | 339 | 96,851 |
| 1940s | 256 | 48,619 |
| 1930s | 254 | 18,390 |
| 1920s | 403 | 11,460 |
| 1910s | 286 | 6,120 |
| 1900s | 55 | 2,141 |
| 1890s | 67 | 2,233 |
| 1880s | 41 | 2,285 |
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.”
Patrick comes from the Latin patricius, “nobleman, patrician.” St Patrick, the 5th-century missionary, is the patron saint of Ireland, and the name is deeply Irish.
Lucas is more popular than Patrick today: about 10,219 US babies were given the name Lucas in 2025, compared with 1,495 named Patrick.
Lucas means Light-bringing; from Lucania (Latin origin), while Patrick means Nobleman (Latin origin).
In US records, Lucas first appears in 1881 and Patrick in 1880, so Patrick has the longer recorded history.