UK girl's name
Lucia
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "light" or "lucid".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Lucia is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lucia popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #176, with 279 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2013, with 312 births.
This profile covers 6,454 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 89% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 7,631 living people in the UK are called Lucia. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Lucia ranked #176 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 279 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2013, when 312 girls were registered as Lucia.
- • Lucia ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #87 in 2024.
- • About 7,631 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lucia as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#176
2024
Births in 2024
279
Latest year
Peak year
2013
312 births
Estimated living
7,631
2026
Meaning
What does Lucia mean?
The name Lucia has its origins in the Latin language, deriving from the ancient Roman name Lucius, which means "light" or "lucid." The name's roots can be traced back to the Latin word "lux," meaning light or radiance. It was a popular name during the Roman era and was later adopted by various cultures and languages.
In Christianity, the name Lucia holds significant meaning and is associated with Saint Lucia, a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse, Sicily. According to legend, Saint Lucia was a young Christian who was blinded for her faith but miraculously had her sight restored. She is often depicted in art carrying a dish with her eyes on a plate, symbolizing her martyrdom and the gift of sight.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lucia can be found in the 6th century, when a woman named Lucia of Trent was venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. She was believed to have been born in the 3rd century and died around 286 AD.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Lucia. In the 13th century, Lucia dei Settesoldi, also known as Blessed Lucia of Narni, was an Italian religious leader and founder of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Vallecorsa. She lived from around 1180 to 1246.
Another famous Lucia was the Italian composer Lucia Quarra, who lived from 1619 to 1668. She was a renowned musician and one of the first female composers of the Baroque era.
In the literary world, Lucia Moholy, a Hungarian-American photographer and writer, made significant contributions to the Bauhaus movement. She was born in 1894 and died in 1989.
Lucia Whalen, an American actress and singer, gained recognition for her roles on Broadway and in films during the early 20th century. She was born in 1889 and died in 1969.
Lastly, Lucia Bartolozzi, an Italian painter and engraver, was a notable figure in the art world during the 18th century. She was born in 1737 and died in 1818.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Lucia, a name that has endured across cultures and centuries, symbolizing light, clarity, and radiance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lucia over time
The chart below shows babies named Lucia registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Lucia, the clearest high point is 2013. The latest England and Wales figure is 279 births in 2024, compared with 312 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lucia by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lucia was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #197 | 1,271 | 5 |
| 2010s | #191 | 2,756 | 10 |
| 2000s | #234 | 2,012 | 10 |
| 1990s | #331 | 415 | 4 |
Geography
Where Lucia is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lucia. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Lucia ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #87 in 2024.
Across the UK
Lucia in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#93 in 2024
41 years of NRS records, 774 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#87 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 442 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Lucia
-
Lucia Hernandez
basketball player
Gibraltarian basketball player (born 2009)
2009-
-
Lucia O'Connor
basketball player
Gibraltarian basketball player (born 2005)
2005-
-
Lucia Scott
rugby union player
English-Scottish rugby union player
2004-
-
Lucia Kendall
association football player
English footballer
2004-
-
Lucia Carpanini
association football player
2001-
-
Lucia Zucchetti
film editor
Italian film editor
2000-
-
Lucia Giannecchini
actor
British actress
1977-
-
Lucia Dolce
academic; japanologist
academic, japanologist (1964-)
1964-
Related
Names similar to Lucia
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
Lucia: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lucia in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lucia was ranked #176 for girls in England and Wales, with 279 births registered.
When was Lucia most popular?
The peak year on record was 2013, with 312 babies registered as Lucia in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lucia?
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "light" or "lucid".
How many people are called Lucia in the UK?
A total of 6,454 babies have been registered as Lucia across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 774 more in Scotland and 442 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Lucia most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lucia ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #87 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.