Show ContentsLuke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Luke family

The surname Luke was first found in Berwickshire where the this surname is derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Luke,' which is popularly Luck and Luckie on the Scottish border. 1

Early History of the Luke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Luke research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1567, 1580, 1582, 1600, 1647, 1691 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Luke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Luke Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Luck, Luke, Louk, Louke, Loucks, Lucke and others.

Early Notables of the Luke family

More information is included under the topic Early Luke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Luke Ranking

In the United States, the name Luke is the 2,105th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2 However, in Australia, the name Luke is ranked the 872nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,526 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Luke family to Ireland

Some of the Luke family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Luke migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Luke Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Luke, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 4
  • Edward Luke, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 4
  • Sarah Luke, who landed in Maryland in 1665 4
  • Charles Luke, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 4
  • Nathaniel Luke, who landed in New Jersey in 1677 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Luke Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Christian Luke, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1761 4
  • Jacob Luke, who settled in Boston in 1762
Luke Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Luke, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 4
  • Samuel Luke, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 4
  • John Luke, who landed in New York, NY in 1836 4
  • Miss Emma Luke, (b. 1829), aged 22, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Mountaineer" arriving in the United States on 30 April 1851 5
  • Miss Ann Elizabeth Luke, (b. 1831), aged 20, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Mountaineer" arriving in the United States on 30 April 1851 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Luke Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Miss Mary Luke, (b. 1874), aged 26, Cornish settler, from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 15th September 1900 en route to Morenci, Arizona, USA 6
  • Miss Irene Luke, (b. 1899), aged 9 months, Cornish settler, from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 15th September 1900 en route to Morenci, Arizona, USA 6
  • Mr. Albert J. Luke, (b. 1883), aged 17, Cornish labourer, from Camborne, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th May 1900 en route to Ishpeming, Michigan, USA 6
  • Mr. Edgar Luke, (b. 1882), aged 19, English miner travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 28th September 1901 en route to Pennsylvania, USA 6
  • Miss Everil Ivy Luke, (b. 1899), aged 4, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 15th November 1903 en route to Schenectady, New York, USA 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Luke migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Luke Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Luke, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
  • Mr. Nicholas Luke U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 7
  • Mr. Philip Luke U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 7

Luke migration to Australia +

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

Luke Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Strout Luke, (b. 1804), aged 27 born in Mevagissey, Cornwall, UK convicted in Cornwall on 24th March 1831, sentenced for death reduced to life for housebreaking, transported aboard the ship "Strathfieldsay" in 1831 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 8
  • Mr. Thomas Strout Luke (b. 1804), aged 27, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 24th March 1831, sentenced for life for housebreaking, transported aboard the ship "Strathfieldsaye" on 22nd July 1831 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 9
  • Mr. Joseph Luke, (b. 1812), aged 23, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 28th June 1836, sentenced for life for stealing a horse from John Rogers, transported aboard the ship "Mangles" on 18th March 1837 to New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Christina Luke, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1838 10
  • Samuel Luke, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Success" in 1848 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Luke 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:

Luke Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Lucy Luke, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Anne Longton" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th October 1857 12
  • Mr. Samuel Luke, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Anne Longton" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th October 1857 12
  • Miss Fanny Luke, (b. 1862), aged 9 months, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 12
  • Mr. George Luke, (b. 1828), aged 34, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 12
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Luke, (b. 1832), aged 30, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Luke migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 13
Luke Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Elias Luke, who settled in Barbados with his servants in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Luke (post 1700) +

  • Derek Luke (b. 1974), American actor
  • First Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr. (1897-1918), American fighter ace and the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor
  • Samuel S. Luke, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Hawaii Territory, 1952; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Hawaii, 1960 14
  • Samuel Luke, American politician, U.S. Consul in Belfast, 1820-30 14
  • John W. Luke, American politician, Member of Iowa railroad commission, 1891-95 14
  • Jim Luke, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1944 14
  • James Luke, American politician, U.S. Consul in Belfast, 1815-20 14
  • J. S. Luke, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1948 14
  • Grover C. Luke, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Enfield, 1926 14
  • Dean Luke, American politician, Independent Candidate for Virgin Islands legislature from St. Thomas-St.John, 2000 14
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Dorsetshire
  • Charles Stanley Luke (d. 1945), British Stoker 1st Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 15


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. 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)
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  6. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  7. 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
  8. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
  9. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  10. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LLOYDS from London 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Lloyds.htm
  11. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SUCCESS 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Success.htm
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  14. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  15. Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html


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