unisex name
Legacy
LEG-uh-see (English)
- Origin Latin, English
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 8,622
the United States
#663
2025 births
Legacy is a unisex American word name meaning "something handed down," from the English noun. The word comes through Old French from Medieval Latin legatia, the office of a legate, and nearly all its use as a first name has come since the 1990s.
- Legacy is a name of Latin, English origin.
- Peaked in 2021, when 1,095 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,926 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1994.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Legacy Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 101 |
| 2000s | 307 |
| 2010s | 2,785 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,290 |
What Legacy Means
Legacy means an inheritance, or what one generation passes on to the next. As a name it suggests family continuity and pride, and it's a statement of what parents hope a child will carry.
Where Legacy Comes From
Latin legare, to send as a deputy or to bequeath, gave legatus, an envoy, and Medieval Latin legatia, the office of an envoy. Old French legacie carried it into Middle English, where it first referred to that office. The modern sense of money or property left by will developed alongside, and it's the broader sense of anything handed down that gives the name its appeal. Using it as a first name is very recent, in line with American word names such as Journey, Haven and Chosen. Reference sites agree on this story, since the word's history is well documented.
Legacy in Use
Legacy shows how far word names have come in American use. The word can also point to a family line, which gives it a weight that lighter word names lack.
How Popular Is Legacy?
In 2025, Legacy was given to 673 babies in the United States, ranking #663 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Legacy Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Legacy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Legacy Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Legacy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Legacy
- English LEG-uh-see /ˈlɛɡəsi/
Sibling Names for Legacy
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Legacy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Legacy
What does the name Legacy mean?
Something handed down from one generation to the next.
Is Legacy a boy's or a girl's name?
It's used for both.
Is Legacy a real name?
Yes. It's a modern American word name.
How popular is the name Legacy?
In 2025, Legacy was given to 673 babies in the United States, ranking #663 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Legacy?
Legacy has 3 syllables.
When was Legacy most popular?
Legacy peaked in 2021, when 1,095 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Legacy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Legacy currently ranks #663 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.