How to say it
lu · CILLE
/luːˈsiːl/
Feminine
Lucille
Light
What it means
French form of Latin Lucilla, a diminutive of Lucia ('light'). Lucille Ball's I Love Lucy (1951-1957) is the indelible American anchor.
Lucille is the French form of the Latin Lucilla, itself a diminutive of Lucia (which means 'light,' from lux). The same root family that gave us Lucy and Lucia. The English Lucille was strong in the late-19th and early-20th-century US; Lucille Ball (1911-1989), the redheaded comedy genius whose I Love Lucy (1951-1957) defined the sitcom form, is the indelible American cultural anchor. Lucille is also the name of B.B. King's guitar (the bluesman named her after a 1949 dance-hall fire). The English Lucille dropped through the mid-20th century and is climbing again with the broader vintage revival. It entered the US top 500 in 2014. Common shorts: Lucy, Lulu, Cille.
Popularity over time
peaked at #27 in 1919, currently #239 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
loo-SEEL, two syllables, stress on the second. Not LOO-sil.
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.
- Lucille Ball American comedian and producer, I Love Lucy
- Lucille (B.B. King's guitar) B.B. King's Gibson ES-355, named after a 1949 dance-hall fire
Spelling variants
- Lucila
- Lucilla
- Lucia
Names with the same feeling
See Lucille from another angle
By meaning
By style