Duke
Top 1000
About Duke
While John Wayne and Duke Ellington are worthy role models, the reason Duke is currently enjoying a revival and returned to the Top 1000 in 2013 as one of the year's fastest-rising boys’ names is more likely due to the name given to high-profile TV couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Christened Edward Duke, he has always been called by his middle name, just as Edward Duke Ellington was. Duke is just one of several aristocratic titles being increasingly used by ordinary citizens.
As of October 2026, Duke ranked #695 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #533 in 2018, Nameberry popularity #871.
Editor's take: The name Duke is a boy's name of English origin.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #669 | 384 | 199.9 |
| 2015 | #603 | 455 | 237.4 |
| 2016 | #558 | 515 | 271.4 |
| 2017 | #541 | 523 | 282.6 |
| 2018 | #533 | 529 | 291.3 |
| 2019 | #541 | 521 | 290.4 |
| 2020 | #633 | 424 | 245.6 |
| 2021 | #652 | 419 | 239.5 |
| 2022 | #677 | 403 | 230.8 |
| 2023 | #683 | 395 | 230.9 |
| 2024 | #709 | 375 | 217.7 |
| 2025 | #695 | 390 | 228.3 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Duke.
Famous Dukes
- (Edward) Duke Ellington
American jazz musician
- Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku
American Hawaiian surfer and Olympic swimmer
- Duke Calhoun
NFL football player
- Duke Uba Ihenacho
American NFL football player
- Duke Worne
American actor and director
- Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider
American baseball player
- Abdul "Duke" Fakir
American singer of The Four Tops
- Duke Keaton
son of actress Diane Keaton
- Duke Kenneth Fluent
son of American actress Justine Bateman
- Duke Gaines (b. 2008)
son of reality stars Chip and Joanna Gaines
- (Edward) Duke Rancic (b. 2012)
son of TV personalities Giuliana and Bill Rancic
Duke in pop culture
- Duke
surname of the family on TV's "Dukes of Hazzard"
- "The Duke
" a nickname for actor John Wayne and his characters
- Duke Orsino
character in movie, "She's the Man"
- Duke Crocker
character on TV's "Haven"
- Duke Thomas
character in DC Universe
- Duke
character on TV's "iCarly"
- Duke Ellis
character in "A Woman Called Fancy" by Frank Yerby
- Duke
character in the "G.I. Joe" series
- Duke the Lost Engine
character in "The Railway" series
- Uncle Duke
character in comic strip "Doonesbury"
- Tony "Duke" Evers
character in the "Rocky" films
- Duke Lavery
character on American soap opera "General Hospital"
- Duke
character in video game "KOF: Maximum Impact"
- Duke of New York
character in film "Escape from New York"
- "Duke Nukem
" video game series and its main character
- "Duke
" novel by Hal Ellson and its main character
- Duke University
school in North Carolina, USA