An English and Irish surname, Duke comes from the Latin terms ‘dux’ and ‘ducis’ which refer to a leader with proper behavior. The similar Middle English terms of ‘duc’ and ‘douc’ referred to someone who looked after a leader. The spelling variations for Duke include Dukes, Dookes, Dook and Dooks. In England most with the Duke surname live in the far northern and southeastern regions. The counties with the greatest Duke populations are Yorkshire, Lanarkshire, Durham, Derbyshire, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the city of London. Many Duke families from England later resettled in Ireland, especially in County Westmeath. In Scotland most with Duke surname live in Lanarkshire, Angus, Midlothian, Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire counties. Within the United States the original Duke individuals lived in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Famous: Annie Duke (professional poker player), Captain Edward Duke (early settler in 1634 to Massachusetts area), James Buchanan Duke (formed the American Tobacco Company and funded Duke University), Ken Duke (professional golfer), Patty Duke (movie film and television actress), Zach Duke (professional baseball player), Vernon Duke (music composer and songwriter from Russia), Robin Duke (actress from Canada), John Woods Duke (musician - pianist and composer), David Duke (professional footballer from Scotland) and Basil Wilson Duke (Civil War Confederate Army General and bodyguard to President Jefferson Davis in 1865).