Girl's name
Lucy
Say it LOO-see
Latin origin light
2 syllables
Where Lucy is loved, common and rare
Loved in New Zealand. Common across Ireland, Northern Ireland, British Columbia and six more places. Rare in four German cities, England and Wales, Switzerland and eight more places.
1 in 118 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Ireland 16thBritish Columbia 34thNorthern Ireland 34th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 24 of the 40 official lists, among them Ireland (16th), British Columbia (34th) and Northern Ireland (34th).
Show all 24 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 7th 2025 | 135 | rank only |
| Victoria state | 12th 2025 | 217 | rank only |
| Queensland state | 15th 2025 | 173 | rank only |
| South Australia state | 15th 2025 | 54 | rank only |
| Ireland | 16th 2025 | 179 | 1 in 118 |
| New South Wales state | 32nd 2025 | 165 | rank only |
| British Columbia province | 34th 2023 | 55 | about 1 in 217 |
| Northern Ireland | 34th 2025 | 48 | 1 in 152 |
| Scotland | 37th 2025 | 100 | 1 in 179 |
| Ontario province | 44th 2024 | 178 | about 1 in 306 |
| Cologne city | 137th 2023 | 9 | about 1 in 683 |
| England and Wales | 143rd 2025 | 346 | 1 in 732 |
| Switzerland | 148th 2025 | 48 | 1 in 708 |
| Berlin city | 148th 2023 | 22 | about 1 in 659 |
| The Netherlands | 158th 2025 | 99 | about 1 in 616 |
| Sweden | 231st 2025 | 35 | about 1 in 1,148 |
| Austria | 235th 2025 | 25 | 1 in 1,429 |
| Quebec province | 250th 2025 | 23 | about 1 in 1,131 |
| Norway | 287th 2025 | 13 | 1 in 1,677 |
| France | 305th 2025 | 175 | 1 in 1,639 |
| Poland | 352nd 2025 | 10 | 1 in 11,979 |
| Italy | 954th 2024 | 10 | 1 in 17,917 |
| Leipzig city | 128th 2025 | 4 | about 1 in 656 |
| Bonn city | 173rd 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 1,005 |
Rare, below the listed names: Munich, Rostock, Spain, Catalonia, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), SmartStart (New Zealand); Registry of BDM Victoria (DataVic) (Victoria); Queensland Registry of BDM (Qld Open Data Portal) (Queensland); SA Attorney-General's Department, Births, Deaths and Marriages (data.sa.gov.au) (South Australia); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (Data.NSW) (New South Wales); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); NISRA (Northern Ireland); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Lucy came into English from Old French Lucie, after the Christian martyr Lucia of Syracuse, and goes back to Latin Lucia, the feminine of the Roman first name Lucius, from lux, 'light'.
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Two syllables, LOO-see, make it bright and simple. Lucia and Lucie are close relatives, and Lucille and Lucile are longer forms.
Lucy is a top-ten name in New Zealand and ranks high in Victoria and Queensland, while it is less common in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden. The French records place its peak in 2015, and it is now falling in slightly more places than it is rising. It remains a steady favourite across the English-speaking world.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- LOO-see, 2 syllables
- Meaning
light
- Origin
- Latin
- Other spellings
- Lucia
- Lucie
- Lucija
- Lucyna
- Lucja
- Luci
- Lucile
- Lucille
- Luzie
- Luzia
- Luzi
- Lleucu
- Llucia
- Llúcia
- Lucilla
- Lütsiä
- Luciane
Etymology
From Middle English Lucy, from Old French Lucie (notably after the Christian martyr Lucia of Syracuse), from Latin Lucia (feminine of Lucius, a Roman praenomen), from lux (“light”).
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 5 of 22 regions, falling in 9.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 43 | 49 | 61 | 61 | 69 | 85 | 90 | 117 | 123 | 143 |
| Scotland | 9 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 28 | 37 |
| Northern Ireland | 16 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 23 | 39 | 38 | 34 |
| Ireland | 3 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 16 |
| Ontario | 60 | 60 | 65 | 66 | 54 | 50 | 54 | 41 | 44 | |
| British Columbia | 52 | 30 | 51 | 49 | 39 | 59 | 30 | 34 | ||
| Nova Scotia | 20 | 17 | 17 | |||||||
| New South Wales | 29 | 33 | 25 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 43 | 43 | 30 | 32 |
| Victoria | 21 | 21 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 23 | 12 |
| Queensland | 21 | 20 | 20 | 26 | 19 | 20 | 30 | 21 | 21 | 15 |
| South Australia | 16 | 16 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 28 | 27 | 15 |
| New Zealand | 17 | 13 | 14 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 25 | 7 |
| Quebec | 344 | 379 | 443 | 233 | 378 | 257 | 276 | 268 | 273 | 250 |
| France | 149 | 166 | 200 | 208 | 233 | 266 | 287 | 334 | 250 | 305 |
| The Netherlands | 190 | 189 | 155 | 188 | 150 | 162 | 164 | 126 | 158 | |
| Austria | 169 | 197 | 202 | 262 | 183 | 339 | 269 | 239 | 290 | 235 |
| Switzerland | 103 | 110 | 120 | 112 | 133 | 138 | 125 | 184 | 153 | 148 |
| Berlin | 104 | 93 | 79 | 117 | 94 | 154 | 163 | 148 | ||
| Munich | 130 | 203 | 208 | 194 | 258 | 200 | ||||
| Cologne | 192 | 219 | 191 | 139 | 216 | 105 | 252 | 137 | ||
| Bonn | 143 | 365 | 168 | 131 | 117 | 155 | 239 | 236 | 168 | 173 |
| Leipzig | 51 | 74 | 93 | 56 | 116 | 73 | 98 | 85 | 143 | 128 |
| Rostock | 136 | 29 | 99 | 44 | 47 | 43 | 38 | 35 | 68 | |
| Norway | 282 | 310 | 208 | 310 | 230 | 273 | 271 | 322 | 221 | 287 |
| Sweden | 292 | 382 | 305 | 306 | 279 | 296 | 237 | 314 | 277 | 231 |
| Italy | 672 | 1025 | 798 | 954 | ||||||
| Poland | 264 | 244 | 317 | 298 | 337 | 422 | 478 | 360 | 359 | 352 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 143 | 346 | 136.6 |
| 2024 | 123 | 392 | 151.9 |
| 2023 | 117 | 419 | 163.3 |
| 2022 | 90 | 540 | 204.9 |
| 2021 | 85 | 607 | 221.5 |
| 2020 | 69 | 755 | 281.3 |
| 2019 | 61 | 882 | 314.9 |
| 2018 | 61 | 910 | 315.7 |
| 2017 | 49 | 1,089 | 364.1 |
| 2016 | 43 | 1,273 | 414.5 |
| 2015 | 32 | 1,525 | 495.2 |
| 2014 | 30 | 1,664 | 542.6 |
| 2013 | 28 | 1,683 | 545.6 |
| 2012 | 27 | 1,908 | 592.4 |
| 2011 | 23 | 2,228 | 693.4 |
| 2010 | 21 | 2,544 | 792.4 |
| 2009 | 16 | 2,597 | 828.7 |
| 2008 | 14 | 2,876 | 910.8 |
| 2007 | 11 | 3,178 | 1,038.1 |
| 2006 | 8 | 3,506 | 1,171.6 |
| 2005 | 8 | 3,534 | 1,226.0 |
| 2004 | 7 | 3,912 | 1,368.5 |
| 2003 | 7 | 4,032 | 1,446.9 |
| 2002 | 10 | 3,796 | 1,419.8 |
| 2001 | 9 | 4,016 | 1,498.5 |
| 2000 | 10 | 4,257 | 1,558.3 |
| 1999 | 13 | 4,037 | 1,433.1 |
| 1998 | 10 | 4,515 | 1,561.3 |
| 1997 | 12 | 4,235 | 1,444.5 |
| 1996 | 15 | 3,753 | 1,267.9 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Lucy in France since 1925 were born in or after 2008. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2015, at 131.8 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Lucy per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2015 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Lucy
1 in 228 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lucy.
1 in 728 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lucy.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lucy.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lucy.
1 in 240 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lucy.
1 in 190 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lucy.
1 in 126 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Lucy.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lucy.
1 in 166 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Lucy.
1 in 184 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Lucy.
Middle names for Lucy
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Lucy Grace
2-1 beats · initials LG
Changes the beat after Lucy: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Lucy Olivia
2-4 beats · initials LO · Lucy slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Lucy: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Lucy slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Lucy Sophia
2-3 beats · initials LS
Changes the beat after Lucy: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Lucy Maria
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Lucy: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Lucy Rose
2-1 beats · initials LR
Changes the beat after Lucy: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Lucy Emily
2-3 beats · initials LE · Lucy slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Lucy: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Lucy slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Lucy Julia
2-3 beats · initials LJ
Changes the beat after Lucy: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Lucy Miriam
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Lucy: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Lucy
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
98% alike: moves with Lucy across countries and decades.
1 in 70 in Ireland
98% alike: moves with Lucy across countries and decades.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
97% alike: moves with Lucy across countries and decades.
1 in 126 in Ireland
97% alike: moves with Lucy across countries and decades.
1 in 99 in Scotland
97% alike: moves with Lucy across countries and decades.
1 in 326 in England and Wales
96% alike: moves with Lucy across countries and decades.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
96% alike: moves with Lucy across countries and decades.
1 in 184 in Scotland
96% alike: moves with Lucy across countries and decades.
Famous people named Lucy
Lucy Liu, Lucy Lawless, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Lucy Stone, Lucy Webb Hayes, Lucy Bronze, Lucy Boynton and Lucy Parsons.
Show all 8Show less
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American actress (born 1968)
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New Zealand actress born 1968
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Canadian writer (1874–1942)
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American abolitionist and suffragist (1818-1893)
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First Lady of the United States from 1877 to 1881 1831 to 1889
-
English footballer (born 1991)
-
British actress born 1994
-
American communist anarchist labor organizer (1853–1942) 1851 to 1942
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Lucy
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Lucy?
Her best rank is No. 7 in New Zealand in 2025. She is in the published lists of 24 of our 40 regions.
What does Lucy mean?
Wiktionary glosses Lucy as "light".
How do you pronounce Lucy?
LOO-see, with 2 syllables.
Is Lucy getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 5 of 22 regions, falling in 9.
Which sister names go with Lucy?
The deck's top five sisters for Lucy: Eva, Stella, Emily, Rose and Hazel. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.