girl's name
Lucille
loo-SEEL
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 244,015
the United States
#237
2025 births
Lucille is a girl's name from the Latin for light, given to children born at daybreak. It is the strongest revival in our data — it peaked in 1920 and now ranks 237th in the United States on 1,314 births, more than a century later.
- Lucille is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in 1920, when 8,006 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 2,523 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Lucille over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,108 |
| 1890s | 5,105 |
| 1900s | 15,106 |
| 1910s | 56,332 |
| 1920s | 64,103 |
| 1930s | 31,030 |
| 1940s | 20,526 |
| 1950s | 12,068 |
| 1960s | 4,418 |
| 1970s | 1,402 |
| 1980s | 1,053 |
| 1990s | 1,215 |
| 2000s | 3,212 |
| 2010s | 9,650 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,993 |
What Lucille means
Lucille means light. The Latin word is the ordinary noun, and the name was traditionally given to a child born at dawn or during daylight rather than describing any quality.
Where Lucille comes from
Lucille is the French form of the Latin Lucilla, a diminutive of Lucia, from lux — light. Roman practice attached it to the circumstances of birth: Lucius and its feminines were given to children born at daybreak, so the name recorded a time of day much as Nathalie records a date. Saint Lucy of Syracuse, martyred around 304, became patron of the blind and of eyesight, and her feast on 13 December fell on the winter solstice in the Julian calendar — which is why Scandinavian Lucia processions carry candles through the darkest night of the year.
Lucille in use
Lucille peaked in the United States in 1920, when 8,006 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 237th in the United States on 1,314 births, 2173rd in France and 2928th in England and Wales, across 244,015 lifetime births. Of every reviving name we hold, this is the strongest recovery: a name that peaked over a century ago and is now back inside the American top 250.
How popular is Lucille?
In 2025, Lucille was given to 1,314 babies in the United States, ranking #237 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Lucille 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 Lucille
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lucille also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lucille over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Lucille
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Lucille in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Lucille
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lucille — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lucille
What does the name Lucille mean?
Light, from the Latin lux — traditionally given to a child born at daybreak.
Is Lucille coming back?
It is the strongest revival in our data — 237th in the United States, more than a century after its 1920 peak.
Why does Saint Lucy carry candles?
Her feast on 13 December fell on the winter solstice in the Julian calendar, so Scandinavian processions light the darkest night.
Is Lucille related to Lucy?
Yes — both descend from the Latin Lucia, and Lucy is the English form.
How popular is the name Lucille?
In 2025, Lucille was given to 1,314 babies in the United States, ranking #237 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Lucille a girl's or a boy's name?
Lucille is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lucille?
Lucille has 2 syllables.
When was Lucille most popular?
Lucille peaked in 1920, when 8,006 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Lucille?
Lucille is usually shortened to Lucy.
Is Lucille a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lucille currently ranks #237 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.