Duke

Origin: English — From the title 'duke', ultimately Latin dux 'leader'; surname/nickname · title 'duke', ult. Latin dux

Boy's name · #695 in the US (2025) · 2020s wave

Popularity over time

Duke reached its best rank, #533, in 2018 and ranked #695 in 2025. Roughly 12,000 boys have been named Duke since 1880.

In recent years, Duke ran about 10× its national rate in Hawaii — Duke Kahanamoku's state —.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 35 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

See how Duke ranks in other countries and regions.

#1,040 in Netherlands (2025) · #1,639 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,246 in Canada (2024).

Duke Ellington — American jazz pianist and composer (1899–1974)
Duke Kahanamoku — American swimmer, surfer and actor (1890–1968)
Duke Dumont — English DJ and record producer
Duke Cunningham — American politician (1941–2025)
Duke Nalon — Racecar driver (1913–2001)

It is also an American family name — about 35,000 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census.

Patty Duke — American actress (1946–2016)
Mitchell Duke — Australian association football player
Charles Duke — American engineer, U.S. Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut (born 1935)

Among 115 notable people named Duke:

Sports figures appear 2.64× more often than among typical names — e.g. Duke Kahanamoku, American swimmer, surfer and actor (1890–1968).

Similar names: Rayden · Duncan · Zeke · Dax · Trace · Case

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.