Lucy

♂ Boy

Pronounced LOO-see /ˈluː.siː/High

Meaning: From Latin lux, 'light', through Lucia, the feminine of Lucius. Long associated with Saint Lucy, whose feast falls in December. Lucy is overwhelmingly a girl's name in English; it is recorded here for a boy, which we flag plainly.Medium

In 30 seconds: Lucy means 'light', from Latin lux. It is overwhelmingly a girl's name — recorded here for a boy, which we flag plainly (said 'LOO-see').

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Origin MediumLatin

MeaningFrom Latin lux, 'light', through Lucia, the feminine of Lucius. Long associated with Saint Lucy, whose feast falls in December. Lucy is overwhelmingly a girl's name in English; it is recorded here for a boy, which we flag plainly.

U.S. rank (2022)#13560 ↘ Falling

2022 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1924

Total births (all-time)≈ 636

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Lucy descends from Latin Lucia, the feminine of Lucius, from lux, 'light'. Saint Lucy of Syracuse carried it through the medieval church, and it has been a steady English girls' name for centuries. Its appearance in boys' birth data is rare and runs against that whole history; we flag the cross-sex lean clearly rather than treating it as an established masculine use (said 'LOO-see').

For boys it appears only rarely in the U.S., against very heavy use for girls. Rare, cross-sex, and bright.

Did you know? Lucy comes from lux, 'light', and Saint Lucy's December feast day sits near the year's darkest point — a name and a season that fit each other. In English it is overwhelmingly a girl's name, and its use here for a boy is unusual, which we note (said 'LOO-see').

Overall data confidence 50%

References — Lucy — Latin lux 'light'; Lucia/Saint Lucy; strongly feminine in English

Variations

LuciusLucaLucian

Nicknames

LucLu

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Lucy…

Lucian— the masculine name from the same root

Lucius— the Latin masculine form

Luca— a like Luc- opening pick

Luke— a same 'light' family choice

Explore names like Lucy

By themelatin classic cross-sex light

By meaningLight Fire

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Lucy mean?

Lucy means 'light', from Latin lux, through Lucia and Saint Lucy.

How do you pronounce Lucy?

It's said LOO-see /ˈluː.siː/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Lucy a boy or girl name?

Lucy is overwhelmingly a girl's name in English. It is recorded here for a boy, which is very unusual — we flag that plainly. The masculine forms are Lucius and Lucian.

How popular is Lucy?

For boys Lucy is extremely rare in the U.S.; for girls it is very widely used.