Duke

Did you know?

A few things about Duke you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Duke

Duke Kahanamoku

American swimmer, surfer and actor (1890-1968)

Choose Duke and your child shares a first name with Duke Kahanamoku, an American swimmer, surfer and actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Duke, like who?” Duke Kahanamoku's Wikipedia article is available in 36 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Duke Kahanamoku on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 4,380 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Duke, 390 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Duke would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryDuke has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Dukes, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2018, when it reached #533.
• 📈Then vs nowDuke is 8.2× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 35,714 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 4,380.
• 🍂TrendDuke has slipped 62 places over the last five years and now sits at #695. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedDuke is most popular in Hawaii, where it ranks #180, followed by Connecticut (#382) and Iowa (#399). It's in the top 1,000 in 32 states.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Duke means “leader”. Our records link it to English, French and Latin roots.

About the name Duke

Duke is a boy name of English, French and Latin origin meaning “leader”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with D and ending in “-uke”. US birth records list Duke for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 141 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked #533 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #695, with 390 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench namesLatin names