2000
#15,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,727
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.64
Rare Last name
Luk
A Chinese surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "deer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,344 Americans carry the last name Luk. That puts it at #14,109 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,226 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Luk surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Luk with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,226
Census rank
#14,109
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,044 bearers of the surname Luk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14109th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Luk, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Luk
The surname Luk has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "luc," meaning "lock" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a gate or enclosed area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1195, which mention a person named Willelmus Luk. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, providing valuable insights into the names used during that period.
Another significant historical reference is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which contained records of landholders and their holdings. These rolls include entries for individuals with the surname Luk, indicating their presence in various counties across England.
During the 13th century, the name Luk appeared in various spellings, such as Loke, Looke, and Lok, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings in that era. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the names.
One notable bearer of the Luk surname was John Luk, a prominent merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century. Records show that he was involved in trade with the continent and played a role in the city's economic affairs.
In the 16th century, the Luk surname was associated with several place names in England, such as Lukesland in Kent and Lukeshall in Essex. These toponymic references suggest that some families with the surname may have derived their name from the location where they resided.
Another individual of historical significance was Sir William Luk, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a respected statesman and served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in the early 1600s.
During the English Civil War in the mid-17th century, Captain Richard Luk was a notable figure who fought for the Parliamentarian forces. He was known for his bravery and military prowess in several key battles.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook the contribution of Samuel Luk, an English poet and playwright who lived from 1638 to 1719. His works, though not widely acclaimed during his lifetime, have since gained recognition for their lyrical quality and insightful commentary on contemporary society.
As the centuries progressed, the Luk surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with families often maintaining close ties to their ancestral homes and local communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Luk
Among Census respondents with the surname Luk, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Luk bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Luk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.2% · 1,823
- White4.6% · 95
- Two or more races3.2% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 40
- Black or African American0.9% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Luk
Luk appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,920
+193 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 262 places
2020
#14,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,044
+124 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 1,180 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,551 | 1,727 | 0.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,289 | 1,920 | 0.65 | +193 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 262 places |
| 2020 | #14,109 | 2,044 | 0.68 | +124 bearers (+6.5%) | Up 1,180 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Luk surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,289 | #14,109 | 7.7% |
| Count | 1,920 | 2,044 | 6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.68 | 5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Luk bearers went from 1,920 to 2,044 (+6.5% change). The surname moved up 1,180 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,289 to #14,109.
FAQ
Luk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Luk?
Name Census estimates that about 2,344 living Americans carry the surname Luk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,226 residents.
How common is Luk?
Luk ranks #14,109 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,044 people with the surname Luk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,344), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Luk.
Has Luk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Luk went from 1,920 recorded bearers to 2,044. That is an increase of 124 (+6.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,289 to #14,109.
What does the Census say about the background of Luk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Luk, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Luk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (1,823 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Luk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.2%), White (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Luk (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Luk mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "deer". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Luk (0.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Luk?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.