Thanks to Photoquilty, formerly known as Another, for suggesting this one ages ago – the classic, enduring and heroic Luke.

Once upon a time, ’round the 5th century BC, a tribe called the Lucani conquered part of southern Italy.  Their lands stretched from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto.  Eventually they became part of the Roman Empire, and we may well have forgotten the Lucians.  Except that they inspired the Greek masculine moniker Loukas, which would be worn by the influential St. Luke.

Luke’s name means “from Luciana,” but he was from Antioch.  History tells us that Luke was a doctor, and the author of two books of the Bible: the Gospel of Luke and of the Acts of the Apostles.  The details of his life are fuzzy, but he remains a widely admired figure among Christians.  His name became quite popular, and variants are heard in many languages.

Luke didn’t catch on in English, though, until the 1100s.  We can’t pin Luke’s rise to any one factor, but we suspect it could be tied to the Crusades and a renewed interest in the world of the early church.  In any case, while Luke wasn’t as common as William or John, he entered into steady use and has been heard ever since.

There are so many Lukes that it is difficult to know which ones to include on a list of notables:

• One that can’t be ignored is Star Wars’ hero Luke Skywalker.  He lends the name a sci fi vibe and some heroic flair, too;
• As prisoner Luke Jackson in 1967′s Cool Hand Luke, Paul Newman created a memorable, Christ-like figure – and yet another hero;
• In the early 80s, Luke and Laura were one of the soap opera world’s most popular couples, with their romance chronicled on General Hospital. Luke has remained a soap opera staple for characters ever since;
• Today, actors wearing the name include Luke Perry, Luke Wilson and Luke Goss.

An accomplished Luke can be found in nearly any field of endeavor.  He’s a little bit cowboy, but his history runs so deep that he doesn’t sound flimsy.  In fact, Luke is the rare name that could be worn by a scientist or a swashbuckler.

If there’s any drawback to Luke, it’s his mega-popularity.  He’s #21 in the UK, and he’s been in the US Top 50 since 2001.  Last year, he came in at #46.  But add in Lucas (#53); Lukas (#235); Luca (#313) and Luka (#751) and nearly 20,000 boys received the name in 2007.  That makes Luke more like the 15th most popular name in the US.

This does, of course, give parents an appealing option.  If you favor exotic names like Lucien or Lucius, you can safely put one on the birth certificate while reserving Luke as an easy-to-wear diminutive.

But on his own, he’s strong and solid, and despite being just one syllable, there’s a lot to like about this name.