E. De Stefani notes that this surname derives from the given name Luca, coming from the Latin Lucas and in turn from the Greek loukas, whose original meaning was "native of Lucania". The name became consolidated in the Christian world thanks to the evangelist Saint Luke, physician of Antioch, whose feast is celebrated on 18 October. Over time, that given name was transformed into a surname.

G. P. Holmes complements this reading by highlighting the relational dimension of the surname: in its original form, Di Luca meant "son of Luca" and then came to indicate "belonging to the Luca family", thus underlining its character as a patronymic surname.

De Stefani indicates that the surname is known in a good part of Italy, and provides specific documentation on its presence in Friuli-Venezia Giulia: the De Luca and Luca are rooted in Ampezzo —in the Carnia, a mountainous zone of the province of Udine—, with records that go back to the middle of the 16th century. They are also documented in Forni di Sotto, Faedis, Tarcento, Treppo Grande, Udine, Aviano, Pordenone, Roveredo in Piano and Caneva, as well as in Borca di Cadore.