Duke

Duke - A very unique male name

Duke appeared on the charts for the first time in 1916 on position #1462. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Duke and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Duke? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Duke. The baby boy name Duke was given to 356 baby boys in 2025, ranking #682 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 4,119 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Duke peaked in popularity 9 years ago in 2017 on position 530.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Duke, 1-5?

Duke is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Duke is currently topping the baby name charts in Hawaii at position #183 - and is the least popular in North Carolina at position #1,060.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Duke is where you live.

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Duke origin and meaning

English title and word name, from Latin

The title duke, from Latin dux, 'leader' — the highest rank of the British nobility, also an old surname

Duke has appeared since 1916 as a title name, never common but never gone. It peaked in 2017 with the other rank names and has fallen since 2020.

Attested etymology

Duke is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Duke, pop culture references for the name Duke and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Duke

We've found the following names that sound similar to Duke, sorted by popularity.

Diego / Dick / Doug / Dax / Dash / Dickie / Dock / Desi / Doyce / Daksh /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Duke

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Duke a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Duke?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

DOOK · /duːk/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

• Duke Ellington — Jazz composer and bandleader; born Edward Kennedy Ellington, he was nicknamed Duke in childhood and was famous under it (1899–1974) Historical

Style

Word nameRoyal

Why parents choose it

Duke is a swagger pick — one syllable of jazz-age cool and aristocratic rank, chosen by parents who like names with presence.

Worth knowing

• A very popular name for dogs, which some parents mind and some do not
• Duke Ellington's Duke was a nickname, and John Wayne's 'Duke' was also a nickname — both famous, neither born to it as a given name in the usual sense