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Home › Baby Names Directory › Lucy

Lucy

♀ Girl

Pronounced LOO-see /ˈluːsi/High

Meaning: Light; born at dawn or by daylightHigh

In 30 seconds: A bright Latin classic meaning 'light,' derived from Lucia. Lucy has charmed English speakers for centuries and is firmly back in the U.S. top 50.
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Origin HighLatin
MeaningLight; born at dawn or by daylight
U.S. rank (2025)#25 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births6,176 girls (0.38% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2025
Total births (all-time)≈ 236,919

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202518802025

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 is the English form of Lucia, the feminine of the Roman name Lucius, from the Latin lux meaning light. Saint Lucia of Syracuse, a 4th-century martyr associated with light and blindness, spread the name across Catholic Europe in the Middle Ages. It arrived in England via Norman influence and was common throughout the medieval period.

Lucy remained popular in England and its colonies through the 18th and 19th centuries. It declined somewhat in the mid-20th century in the U.S. before staging a strong comeback in the 1990s and 2000s. Today it is prized for its cheerful brevity, literary associations (Lucy in Narnia, Lucy Honeychurch in A Room with a View), and its luminous meaning.

Did you know? Lucy Ricardo of I Love Lucy (1951–1957) is one of TV's most iconic characters, keeping the name vivid in American cultural memory for generations.

Variations

LuciaLucieLucíaLuce

Nicknames

LuLuce

Famous Bearers

  • ★Lucille Ball (1911–1989)
    American actress and comedian, star of I Love Lucy.
  • ★Lucy Worsley (1973–)
    British historian, author, and television presenter.

If you like Lucy…

Grace— shares the crisp, timeless one-or-two-syllable classic appeal
Claire— same bright, short classic girls' name energy
Nora— fellow short vintage revival with a warm, friendly feel
Eleanor— longer classic that shares Lucy's literary charm

Explore names like Lucy

By meaningLightDawn / Morning

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Lucy mean?

Lucy is a Latin name meaning 'light,' derived from Lucia and the root lux.

How do you pronounce Lucy?

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

Is Lucy a boy or girl name?

Lucy is used almost exclusively as a girls' name in the English-speaking world.

How popular is Lucy?

Lucy has ranked in the U.S. top 50 girls' names in recent years, continuing a strong vintage revival.

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