How to say it
lu · CI · a
/luˈtʃi.ə/
Feminine
Lucia
Light
What it means
Latin and Italian feminine of Lucius, from lux ('light'). Saint Lucy of Syracuse is the Christian anchor; her feast day is December 13, marked with candles in Scandinavian Lucia celebrations.
Lucia is the Latin and Italian feminine of Lucius, both from lux ('light'). Saint Lucy of Syracuse (283-304) was a young Sicilian martyr; her cult spread north and is still marked in Scandinavia on December 13 with the Lucia procession (candle-crowned girls singing). The Italian Lucia and English Lucy both come from the same source. In the US Lucia is currently rising on the Spanish-language side; Italian and Spanish-speaking families use it directly. The Spanish pronunciation is loo-SEE-ah, the Italian is loo-CHEE-ah. Both are correct.
Popularity over time
peaked at #83 in 2025, currently #83 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
Two pronunciations: loo-CHEE-ah (Italian) and loo-SEE-ah (Spanish). Both are standard; pick by family tradition.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Saint Lucy of Syracuse 4th-century martyr, the Scandinavian Lucia procession honors her on December 13
- Lucia di Lammermoor Donizetti's 1835 opera, the mad-scene aria is one of the most-performed pieces in soprano repertoire
Spelling variants
- Lucy
- Lucinda
- Lucía
Names with the same feeling
See Lucia from another angle
By meaning
By style