Lucas (surname)

Last updated January 21, 2026

Lucas is a surname of Latin origin. It is derived from the Latin verb "lucere", meaning "to shine". Notable people with the surname include:

Academics and science

Alfred Lucas (chemist) (1867–1945), English analytical chemist, known for his part in the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb
Arthur Lucas (academic) (born 1941), Australian academic who served as the 18th Principal of King's College London
Arthur Henry Shakespeare Lucas (1853–1936), English-born Australian schoolmaster and scientist
Colin Lucas (born 1940), British historian
Deborah J. Lucas, American economist
Édouard Lucas (1842–1891), French mathematician who studied Lucas numbers and the closely related Fibonacci numbers (both of which are examples of a Lucas sequence)
Hippolyte Lucas (1814–1899), French entomologist
John Lucas (philosopher) (1929–2020), British philosopher
Robert Lucas Jr. (1937–2023), American economist (Lucas critique)
Spencer G. Lucas, American paleontologist

Aristocracy

Lucas as an aristocratic family name, Baron Lucas of Crudwell, may refer to:

Mary Grey, Countess of Kent, 1st Baroness Lucas of Crudwell (died 1702)
Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent, 2nd Baron Lucas of Crudwell (1671–1740)
Anthony Grey, Earl of Harold, 3rd Baron Lucas of Crudwell (1695–1723)
Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey, 4th Baroness Lucas of Crudwell (1722–1797)
Thomas de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey, 6th Baron Lucas of Crudwell (1781–1859)
Francis Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper, 8th Baron Lucas of Crudwell (1834–1905)
Auberon Herbert, 9th Baron Lucas of Crudwell (1876–1916)
Ralph Palmer, 12th Baron Lucas of Crudwell (born 1951)

Arts

Buddy Lucas (musician) (1914–1983), American jazz saxophonist and bandleader
Caroline Byng Lucas (1886–1967), English artist
Charles Lucas (architect) (1838–1905), French architect
Charles Lucas (musician) (1808–1869), English cellist
Charlotte Lucas (born 1976), English actress
Clarence Lucas (1866–1947), Canadian composer
Craig Lucas (born 1951), American playwright
Crystal Lucas-Perry, American stage actress
David Lucas (born 1937), American music producer and jingle writer
David Lucas, pseudonym of Steven Blum (born 1965), American voice actor
Dick Lucas (singer), British vocalist
E. V. Lucas (1868–1938), British writer
Frank Lucas (1894–1967), English literary critic
Gary Lucas, American musician
Geoffry Lucas (1872–1947), English architect (often mis-spelt Geoffrey)
George Lucas (born 1944), American filmmaker
Helen Lucas (born 1931), Canadian artist
Hippolyte-Julien-Joseph Lucas (1807–1878), French writer and critic
Isabel Lucas (born 1985), Australian actress
Isabelle Lucas (1927–1997), British actress and singer
Jett Lucas (born 1993), American actor, son of George Lucas
St. John Lucas (1879–1934), English poet and anthologist
John Lucas (poet) (1937–2025), British poet, critic and travel writer
John Lucas (comics), American comic book artist
John Meredyth Lucas (1919–2002), American screenwriter and director
John Seymour Lucas (1849–1923), British artist
Josh Lucas (born 1971), American actor
Joyner Lucas (born 1988), American rapper
Matt Lucas (singer), American rock and roll, soul and blues singer, drummer and songwriter
Michael Lucas (director) (born 1972), Russian-Israeli-American pornographic film actor, director, and LGBT activist
Michael Lucas (political activist) (1926–2020), Canadian artist, designer, and political activist
Nick Lucas (1897–1982), American jazz guitarist and singer
Peter J. Lucas (born 1962), Polish and American actor
Reggie Lucas (1953–2018), American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
Richard Cockle Lucas (1800–1883), English sculptor
Sam Lucas (1848–1916), American actor and minstrel performer
Sarah Lucas (born 1962), British artist
Scott Lucas (musician), founding member of Local H
Shannon Lucas, American extreme metal drummer
Thomas Geoffry Lucas (1872–1947), English architect
Trevor Lucas, Australian folk-rock musician
Victor Lucas (television producer), Canadian writer and TV show director
Vinka Lucas , New Zealand fashion and bridalwear designer
Wilfred Lucas, Canadian film actor and director

Law and politics

Allen T. Lucas (1917–1973), American lawyer and politician
Caroline Lucas (born 1960), English politician
Charles Lucas (politician) (1713–1771), Irish politician and physician
Francis Lucas (English politician) (1850–1918), British company director and Conservative Member of Parliament for Lowestoft 1900–1906
Frank Lucas (Oklahoma politician) (born 1960), American politician
Frank E. Lucas (1876–1948), American politician
Sir Frederick Cook, 2nd Baronet (Frederick Lucas Cook, 1844–1920), British politician
Henry Lucas (politician) (c.1610–1663), British politician and benefactor
Ian Lucas (born 1960), British politician
Isaac Benson Lucas (1867–1940), Canadian politician
Jeanne Hopkins Lucas (c. 1936–2007), American politician
Louise Lucas (born 1944), Virginia politician
Malcolm Lucas (1927–2016), American judge
Michael William George Lucas (1926–2001), British politician, 2nd Lord Lucas of Chilworth
Raymond B. Lucas (1890–1966), Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri
Richard Lucas (politician) (1837–1916), Tasmanian politician
Robert Lucas (governor) (1781–1853), American politician
Scott W. Lucas (1892–1968), U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader from Illinois

Military

Alfred Lucas (Indian Army officer) (1822–1896), English staff officer in the British Indian Army
Benjamin Lucas (soldier), Anglo-Irish soldier of the 17th century
Charles Lucas (1613–1648), English soldier
Charles Davis Lucas (1834–1914), Anglo-Irish Royal Navy officer, Victoria Cross recipient
George W. Lucas (soldier) (1845–1921), American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient
Jean Jacques Étienne Lucas (1764–1819), French naval officer
John Lucas (VC) (1827–1892), Irish soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross after action in New Zealand
John P. Lucas (1890–1949), American general in World War II
Steve Lucas, commander of Canadian Forces Air Command

Sports

Abraham Lucas (born 1998), American football player
A. P. Lucas (1857–1923), English cricketer
Antoinette Lucas (born 1968), American field hockey player
Buddy Lucas (swimmer) (1931-2002), New Zealand swimmer
Chase Lucas (born 1997), American football player
Colin Lucas (born 1969), Scottish footballer
Frederick Ross Lucas (Buddy Lucas, 1931–2002), New Zealand swimmer
Fred Lucas (baseball) (Frederick Warrington Lucas, 1903–1987), American Major League Baseball player
Gary Lucas (baseball) (born 1954), American baseball player
Jean Lucas (1917–2003), French racing driver
Jerry Lucas (born 1940), American basketball player
John Lucas II (born 1953), American basketball player, NBA
John Lucas III (born 1982), American basketball player, son of John Lucas II
Kalin Lucas (born 1989), American basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
Marquis Lucas (born 1993), American football player
Maurice Lucas (1952–2010), American basketball player
Peter Lucas (footballer) (1929–2019), Australian rules footballer
Ray Lucas (born 1972), American football player
Ray Lucas (baseball) (1908–1969), American baseball pitcher and manager
Richard Lucas (rower) (1886–1968), British rower
Richie Lucas (born 1938), American footballer
Scott Lucas (footballer) (born 1977), Australian footballer
Tommy Lucas (1895–1953), English footballer

Others

Anthony Francis Lucas (1855–1921), Croatian-born oil-field engineer
Arthur Lucas (1907-1962), American criminal, one of the last two people to be executed in Canada
Clorinda Low Lucas (née Elizabeth Jessemine Kauikeolani Low; 1895–1986) American Hawaiian social worker
Colin Anderson Lucas (1906–1984), modernist architect, pioneer of reinforced concrete construction
Dick Lucas (minister) (born 1925), British evangelical speaker
Edward Lucas, one of several people including:
- Edward Lucas (journalist), British journalist
Eliza Lucas (c.1722–1793), Antiguan-born plantation manager
Francis Lucas, one of several people including:
Frank Lucas (drug lord) (1930–2019), American drug dealer
Frederick Lucas (1812–1855), British journalist
Frederic Augustus Lucas (1852–1929), American anatomist and museum director
Henry Lee Lucas (1936–2001), American serial killer
Inah Canabarro Lucas (1908–2025), Brazilian nun and supercentenarian
James Lucas, multiple people
Jim G. Lucas (1914–1970), American journalist
Sir John Lucas, 1st Baron Lucas of Shenfield (1606–1671), brother of Charles Lucas
Joseph Lucas (1834–1902), founder of the British automotive electrical components manufacturer Lucas Automotive, LucasVarity
Ken Lucas (disambiguation), multiple people
Margaret Bright Lucas (1818-1890), British temperance activist and suffragist
Martha Lucas Pate (1912–1983), American college administrator
Matt Lucas (born 1974), British comedian
Nathaniel Lucas (1764–1818), English convict transported to Australia
Netley Lucas (c. 1903–1940), English confidence trickster
Ove Lucas (born ca. 1960), Dutch curator and director
Ralph Lucas (1876-1955), designer of early motor cars.
Richard Lucas, one of several people including:
- Richard Lucas (priest) (c. 1640–1715), Welsh clergyman
Samuel Lucas (1811–1865), British abolitionist and newspaper editor
Samuel Lucas (1805–1870), 'Senior" - British brewer and painter
Thomas Lucas (Royalist) (d. 1649), English Cavalier, brother of and John and Charles
Thomas Lucas (c. 1720–1784), English MP and West Indies merchant
Thomas Pennington Lucas (1843–1917), Scottish-born Australian medical practitioner
Vrain Denis-Lucas, French forger
Werner Lucas, German pilot
William John Lucas, English teacher and entomologist

Fictional characters

Emmeline Lucas, the real name of the character "Lucia" in the Mapp and Lucia novels
Josh Lucas, a character in the 1995 American coming-of-age teen comedy movie Clueless