UK girl's name
Lucja
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.
Lucja is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lucja popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2411, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 24 births.
This profile covers 206 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2006 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 46% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 215 living people in the UK are called Lucja. 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
- • Lucja ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 24 girls were registered as Lucja.
- • Lucja ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.
- • About 215 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lucja as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2411
2024
Births in 2024
11
Latest year
Peak year
2018
24 births
Estimated living
215
2026
Meaning
What does Lucja mean?
The name Lucja is a feminine given name derived from the Latin name Lucia. It has its roots in the ancient Roman culture, where the name Lucia was widely used. The Latin word "lux" means light, and "lucere" means to shine, indicating that Lucia and its variations, such as Lucja, were associated with light, brightness, or radiance.
The name Lucia gained significant popularity in Christian tradition, as it was borne by Saint Lucia, a 4th-century virgin martyr from Syracuse, Sicily. According to legend, Saint Lucia had her eyes gouged out during persecution, leading to her association with light and vision. Her feast day, celebrated on December 13th, coincides with the period when daylight hours begin to increase in the Northern Hemisphere, further reinforcing the connection between her name and light.
The earliest recorded use of the name Lucja can be traced back to medieval Europe, particularly in Poland, where it was a popular name among the nobility and royalty. One notable bearer of the name was Lucja Radziwiłłówna (1558-1599), a Polish noblewoman and the wife of King Sigismund III Vasa.
In the 17th century, Lucja Baranowska (1603-1649) was a Polish mathematician and astronomer, making significant contributions to the field of astronomy. She is recognized as one of the first female astronomers in Europe.
Another prominent figure with the name Lucja was Lucja Ćwierczakiewiczowa (1829-1901), a Polish writer and activist who played a crucial role in the development of Polish literature and women's emancipation movements.
In the 20th century, Lucja Prus (1915-1998) was a Polish actress and singer, known for her roles in numerous films and theatrical productions.
Lucja Sanwill (1912-2002) was a Polish artist and sculptor, renowned for her modernist sculptures and public art installations.
While the name Lucja has its origins in ancient Roman culture and gained significance in Christian tradition, it has been widely adopted and popular in various countries, particularly in Poland, where it has a rich historical legacy and cultural significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lucja over time
The chart below shows babies named Lucja registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2006 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 Lucja, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 24 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lucja by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lucja 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 | #2862 | 45 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2005 | 144 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3480 | 17 | 3 |
Geography
Where Lucja is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lucja. 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.
Lucja ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.
Across the UK
Lucja in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#809 in 2018
3 years of NRS records, 10 total registered
Related
Names similar to Lucja
- 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
Lucja: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lucja in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lucja was ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.
When was Lucja most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 24 babies registered as Lucja in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lucja?
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "light" or "lucid".
How many people are called Lucja in the UK?
A total of 206 babies have been registered as Lucja across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 10 more in Scotland.
Where is Lucja most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lucja ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #809 in 2018. 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.