girl's name
Lucy
LOO-see
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 349,864
the United States
#25
2025 births
Lucy is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "light," from lux. It descends from the Roman name Lucia, traditionally given to a child born at daybreak, and was carried into medieval Europe by Saint Lucy of Syracuse, whose December feast day falls near the winter solstice.
- Lucy is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 6,184 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 536 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lucy 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 | 7,525 |
| 1890s | 10,365 |
| 1900s | 11,069 |
| 1910s | 23,199 |
| 1920s | 27,599 |
| 1930s | 16,530 |
| 1940s | 13,178 |
| 1950s | 13,687 |
| 1960s | 8,677 |
| 1970s | 3,706 |
| 1980s | 4,751 |
| 1990s | 6,097 |
| 2000s | 19,414 |
| 2010s | 42,035 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 29,781 |
What Lucy means
Lucy means "light," from the Latin lux. Roman naming practice connected it specifically to birth at dawn, so the name originally described the circumstances of a child's arrival rather than a hoped-for quality.
Where Lucy comes from
Lucy is the English form of the Latin Lucia, feminine of Lucius, from lux, meaning light. Roman sources indicate the name was given to children born at first light. Its spread through Christian Europe owes most to Saint Lucy of Syracuse, an early fourth-century martyr whose feast on 13 December sat close to the winter solstice under the old Julian calendar, tying her firmly to festivals of light — a link still visible in the Scandinavian Santa Lucia celebrations. The name came to England with the Normans as Lucie and settled into its modern English spelling in the medieval period, remaining in continuous use since.
Lucy in use
Lucy's association with light is reinforced by a feast day that once fell on the darkest day of the year.
How popular is Lucy?
In 2025, Lucy was given to 6,184 babies in the United States, ranking #25 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Lucy 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 Lucy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lucy also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lucy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Lucy
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.
Lucy 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 Lucy
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lucy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lucy
What does the name Lucy mean?
Lucy means "light," from the Latin lux.
Where does the name Lucy come from?
Lucy is the English form of the Roman name Lucia, spread through Europe by Saint Lucy of Syracuse.
Why is Lucy associated with light?
Its root is the Latin lux, and Saint Lucy's December feast day once fell near the shortest day of the year.
How popular is the name Lucy?
In 2025, Lucy was given to 6,184 babies in the United States, ranking #25 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Lucy a girl's or a boy's name?
Lucy is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lucy?
Lucy has 2 syllables.
When was Lucy most popular?
Lucy peaked in 2025, when 6,184 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Lucy?
Lucy is usually shortened to Lu and Luce.
Is Lucy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lucy currently ranks #16 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.