1. The Name Luke.—It is now known for a certainty that Loukas is an abbreviation or pet-name (Kosennamen) for Loukios.  There used to be a deal of speculation on the subject.  Lucanus, Lucilius, Lucianus, Lucius were all suggested.  Lucanus is common in inscriptions.  Several Old-Latin manuscripts of the fifth century read secundum Lukanum instead of the usual secundum Lucam, probably "due to learned speculation and discussion about the origin of the form" Loukas, "We have to ask whether or not the Greek name Loukios, borrowed from the Latin Lucius, could according to Greek custom have as a familiar by-form the Kosennamen Loukas."  It is purely a matter of evidence.  The proof has been found.  On the walls of the peribolos which surrounded the sanctuary of the god Men Askaenos in Antioch are written a number of dedicatory vows to the god.  Some of them are in Latin, but most of them "are the work of Greek-speaking people, who bore Roman names."  One of these dedications in Greek is by Loukas Tillios Kriton and Noumeria Venusta (evidently his wife).  Both names are Roman, and Loukas appears as Greek for the Latin Lucius.  In another instance the same man makes two dedications.  In one instance the name of his son occurs as Loukios, in the other as Loukas.  There is no longer room for dispute on this point... In Acts 13:1 we read of "Loukios the Cyrenian," but it is quite unlikely that he is the same person as our Luke, the author of the book, though it is the same name, as has just been shown.  If Luke is the author of the Acts, he would hardly refer to himself as "Loukios the Cyrenian."... (Luke the Historian, Robertson, 1920)