Boy · #729 in 2026

Duke

Duke is a masculine given name, also used as a nickname or stage name. Notable people with the name include:Duke Aiona, American politician Duke Cunningham, American fighter pilot and politician Duke Dawson, American football player Duke Droese, American wrestler Duke Dumont, English DJ Duke Ejiofor, American football player Duke Ellington (1899-1974), American jazz musician Duke Ihenacho,…

Current Rank
#729
Peak Rank
#533 (2018)
Total Babies
12K
5-Yr Trend
-21%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2018
Peak Year
#533
Peak Rank
12K
Total Count
142
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Duke

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Duke is a masculine given name, also used as a nickname or stage name. Notable people with the name include:Duke Aiona, American politician Duke Cunningham, American fighter pilot and politician Duke Dawson, American football player Duke Droese, American wrestler Duke Dumont, English DJ Duke Ejiofor, American football player Duke Ellington (1899-1974), American jazz musician Duke Ihenacho,…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Duke

Duke first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 529 Dukes were born — ranking #533 that year. As of 2026, Duke ranks #729 for baby boys with 368 births, falling sharply (-21%). In total, more than 12K Dukes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Duke

Phonetically similar names — useful when Duke is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Duke

What does the name Duke mean?
Duke is a masculine given name, also used as a nickname or stage name. Notable people with the name include:Duke Aiona, American politician Duke Cunningham, American fighter pilot and politician Duke Dawson, American football player Duke Droese, American wrestler Duke Dumont, English DJ Duke Ejiofor, American football player Duke Ellington (1899-1974), American jazz musician Duke Ihenacho,…
How popular is Duke in 2026?
In 2026, Duke ranks #729 among boys' names in the U.S., with 368 babies given the name that year.
When was Duke most popular?
Duke reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #533 that year with 529 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Duke most popular?
Duke has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Alaska, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Duke.
Is Duke a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Duke is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Duke?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Duke include Elihu, Chin, Paris. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Elihu
Peak #533
👦
Chin
Peak #533
👦
Paris
Peak #533
👦
Ebb
Peak #533
👦
Loyal
Peak #533
👦
Julien
Peak #533
👦
Boone
Peak #533
👦
Kenyatta
Peak #533

About the name Duke

Duke is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 12K births in the dataset. Duke's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #533. Use the chart and map above to compare Duke's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.