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Lucas History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Sources

Lucas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Italy

Etymology of Lucas

What does the name Lucas mean?

The distinguished surname Lucas can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Sicily, which is located off Southwestern Italy and incorporates the island of Sicily itself, the area of Naples, and the southern part of the Italian peninsula. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. The most common type of family name found in the region of Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Lucas was derived from the Latin given name Lucas, which was also a form of the Greek name Loucas. During the Middle Ages, the name became popular due to St. Luke the Evangelist.

Early Origins of the Lucas family

The surname Lucas was first found in Barletta when Ludivico Luca was governor in 1340.

Early History of the Lucas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lucas research. The years 1417 and 1445 are included under the topic Early Lucas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lucas Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: DeLuca, Luca, Lucantoni, Lucarelli, Lucariello, Lucarini, Lucas, Lucatti, Lucattini, Lucca, Luccarini, Lucchelli, Lucchetta, Lucchetti, Lucchi, Lucchini, Lucco, Luchelli, Luchetta, Luchetti, Luchi, Luchini and many more.

Early Notables of the Lucas family

By the end of the 15th century, southern Italy was known as the Kingdom of Naples, ruled by the house of Aragon. By the early eighteenth century, the Austrians had gained much of the region, under the rule of the Austrian emperor Kales VI. However, in 1734, Spaniard Don Carlos defeated the Austrians, and the region came under Spanish rule once more. In 1799, the French...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lucas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lucas World Ranking

In the United States, the name Lucas is the 286^th most popular surname with an estimated 94,506 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Lucas is ranked the 638^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,147 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Lucas is the 751^st popular surname with an estimated 57 people with that name. 3 France ranks Lucas as 66^th with 36,000 people. 4 Australia ranks Lucas as 220^th with 15,120 people. 5 New Zealand ranks Lucas as 319^th with 1,921 people. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Lucas as 309^th with 19,742 people. 7 Netherlands ranks Lucas as 646^th with 2,838 people. 8 South Africa ranks Lucas as 911^st with 7,657 people. 9

Lucas migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lucas Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lucas Lucas, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1627 10
Robert Lucas, who arrived in Virginia in 1631 10
Samll Lucas, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 10
Roger Lucas, who landed in Virginia in 1636 10
Jone Lucas, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lucas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Edmd Lucas, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 10
Isaac Lucas, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 10
Frantz Lucas, who landed in New Jersey in 1709 10
Francis Lucas and his wife and eight children settled in New England in 1709
Anna Catharina Lucas, aged 4, who landed in New York in 1710 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lucas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Juan Francisco Lucas, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1800 10
Jonathan Lucas, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1804 10
Betsy Lucas, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 10
Archibald Lucas, aged 30, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 10
Samuel Lucas, aged 26, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lucas migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lucas Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jean Lucas, who landed in Montreal in 1714
Mr. Clement Lucas Jr., U.E. (b. 1738) born in New York, USA from Pennsylvania, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1782 11
Mr. Clement Lucas Sr., U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 11
Mr. Amos Lucas U.E. who settled in Midland District [Lennox & Addington], Ontario c. 1784 11

Lucas Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Lucas, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1823
Francis Lucas was a planter in Catalina, Newfoundland in 1833 12
William Lucas, aged 36, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Highlander" in 1834
Margaret Lucas, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Highlander" in 1834
James Lucas, aged 3, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Highlander" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lucas migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lucas Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Lucas, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. George Lucas, (b. 1795), aged 24, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
George Lucas, Welsh convict from Glamorgan, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on October 16, 1826, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 15
Mr. Samuel Lucas, Jr., English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr. James Lucas, (b. 1804), aged 25, English farm labourer who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lucas migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lucas Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert Lucas, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mr Lucas, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
Charles Lucas, aged 22, a shoemaker, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1842
Elizabeth Lucas, aged 23, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1842
Lucy Jane Lucas, aged 1, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lucas (post 1700) +

Robert Emerson Lucas Jr. (1937-2023), American economist at the University of Chicago, known for developing the classical approach to macroeconomics for which he received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1995
William Ray Lucas (1922-2025), American NASA official, fourth Director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (1974-1986)
William Lucas (1928-2022), American politician, Executive of Wayne County (1983-1987), Sheriff of Wayne County (1969-1983)
Edward Joseph "Ed" Lucas Jr. (1939-2021), American blind sportswriter who primarily covered the New York Yankees
Dick Lucas (1934-2020), professional American football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles; he died from COVID-19
Lawrence E. Lucas (1933-2020), American Catholic Priest in the Roman Catholic Church in America from Harlem New York City
Carrie Ann Lucas (1971-2019), American lawyer, disability rights advocate, and activist, founder of Disabled Parents Rights
Reginald Grant "Reggie" Lucas (1953-2018), American Grammy Award winning musician, songwriter and record producer, known for producing most of Madonna's 1983 self-titled debut album and for playing with the Miles Davis electric band
Malcolm Millar Lucas (1927-2016), American jurist, 26th Chief Justice of California
Major-General John Porter Lucas (1890-1949), American Chief of the Army Advisory Group to China (1946-1948) 18
... (Another 99 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Lucas family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mr. Graham Neville Lucas (d. 1979), New Zealander First Officer, from Auckland, New Zealand working aboard the Air New Zealand sightseeing Flight 901 when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 19

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Francis John Lucas, American 2nd Class passenger from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 20

RMS Titanic

Mr. William Lucas, aged 34, English Saloon Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking by escaping in collapsible A 21
Mr. William A. Lucas, aged 25, English Able Seaman from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on collapsible D 21

USS Indianapolis

Robert Andrew Lucas (1926-2005), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 22

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Andromeda voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1826 with 147 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1826
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) John Lucas. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Lucas/John_Porter/USA.html
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew