Lucian
Lucian was the 462nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 670 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 292nd; the most babies were born in 2025 (670). Over the last ten years it has moved up 171 places. More babies were named Lucian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning of Lucius (light) · Latin
Say it LOO-shun /ˈluʃən/
- Rank in 2025
- #462 boys, up 174 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 670boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025670 babies
- Total since 1880
- 14,501babies recorded
What does the name Lucian mean?
Lucian comes from Latin Lucianus, "of Lucius". DMNES derives it from the Roman name Lucius, linked with lux, "light", and lists martyrs of the 3rd and 4th centuries. Wiktionary notes a possible separate Greek source, Loukianos, of obscure meaning, the name of the Greek satirist Lucian of Samosata. It is rare in English but is rising in the US.
Lucianus (Latin, “of Lucius”)lux (Latin, “light”)
How sure is this? Probable. The light connection runs through Lucius; a separate Greek origin is possible.
Related names: Luciano, Lucius, Luca, Lucien.
See also: Latin names, names that mean light.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lucian', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Lucian', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Lucius', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Lucian', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Nicknames for Lucian
The usual nicknames for Lucian are Luc. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Lucian in the last five years, 8 were named Luc, against 133 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luc · also for Lucien | Modern | #3,483 | 227 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Lucians go by each one.
Lucian popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 32 since 1924.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #462 | 670 |
| 2020 | #636 | 421 |
| 2010 | #567 | 448 |
| 2000 | #1,810 | 60 |
| 1990 | #2,034 | 37 |
| 1980 | #1,458 | 43 |
| 1970 | #1,644 | 28 |
| 1960 | #1,128 | 49 |
| 1950 | #1,213 | 36 |
| 1940 | #1,002 | 42 |
| 1930 | #688 | 83 |
| 1920 | #556 | 123 |
| 1910 | #744 | 17 |
| 1900 | #522 | 21 |
| 1890 | #474 | 16 |
| 1880 | #416 | 18 |
How popular is Lucian, counting every spelling?
Lucian is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #459 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #462 for Lucian on its own. Together these spellings went to 676 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucian | 670 | #462 | 2,930 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lucian?
670 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lucian (0.19 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Lucian born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 13 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lucian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lucian?
About 11,100 people born in the US named Lucian are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 5 and 19. That makes Lucian a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lucian by state
How common Lucian was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (2.2×), New Mexico (2.1×), Oklahoma (1.6×), Connecticut (1.6×), Kentucky (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Nebraska, Louisiana, Iowa.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lucian: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lucian, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lucian · Sibling names for Lucian
Questions about the name Lucian
What does Lucian mean?
Lucian means “of Lucius (light)” (Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lucian?
Lucian was the 462nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 670 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 292nd; the most babies were born in 2025 (670). Over the last ten years it has moved up 171 places. More babies were named Lucian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Lucian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Lucian in the US.
Where is Lucian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lucian was most common in Oregon (0.75 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and Oklahoma.