Luck last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Luck is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Luck.

Meaning of Luck

An English surname derived from a nickname for a person considered fortunate or having good luck.

Luck, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Luck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Luck in America

Luck is the 5765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Luck surname appeared 6,008 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Luck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Luck to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 5765 5394 6.65%
Count 6,008 5,940 1.14%
Proportion per 100k 2.04 2.20 -7.55%

The history of the last name Luck

The surname Luck originated in England and can be traced back to the early 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "luc," meaning "good fortune" or "lucky." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was considered particularly fortunate or prosperous.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Luck appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a John Luck. The surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which lists a William Luk.

During the Middle Ages, the name Luck was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. It is believed that the name may have originated in the village of Luckington, located in Wiltshire, which was formerly known as "Luckintone" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Variations in the spelling of the name were common in medieval times, with records showing forms such as Luk, Lukke, and Lucke. This was likely due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions and the influence of local dialects.

One notable bearer of the surname Luck was Sir John Luck, a prominent English politician and military leader during the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. He served as the Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1471 and played a significant role in the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, where he fought for the Yorkist cause.

Another historical figure with the surname Luck was Thomas Luck (c. 1512-1582), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman. He served as the Archdeacon of Worcester and was known for his efforts in promoting the Reformation in the region.

In the 16th century, the surname Luck was also found in the records of the Stratford-upon-Avon area, where it is believed to have been associated with a family of yeomen farmers. One such individual was William Luck (c. 1540-1610), a landowner and notable figure in the local community.

During the 17th century, the Luck surname spread to other parts of England, including London and the surrounding counties. One notable bearer of the name from this period was John Luck (c. 1630-1695), a successful merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in London.

Another prominent figure was Sir Samuel Luck (1677-1741), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his support for the Whig party.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Luck

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Luck.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Luck was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 83.92% 5,042
Non-Hispanic Black Only 9.40% 565
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 2.16% 130
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.30% 18
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.80% 108
Hispanic Origin 2.41% 145

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Luck has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 83.92% 84.93% -1.20%
Black 9.40% 9.92% -5.38%
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.16% 1.97% 9.20%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.30% 0.27% 10.53%
Two or More Races 1.80% 1.43% 22.91%
Hispanic 2.41% 1.48% 47.81%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Luck was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Luck, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Luck last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/luck-surname-popularity/.

"Luck last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/luck-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Luck last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/luck-surname-popularity/.

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