Elycia
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "shining light".
Name Census estimates that about 430 living Americans carry the first name Elycia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Elycia today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elycia births was 2002 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elycia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
430
~ 1 in 797,103 Americans
Peak year
2002
24 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,923
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Elycia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Elycia from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 158 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elycia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Elycia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Elycia
The name Elycia has its origins in ancient Greek culture, emerging as a variant of the name Elicia, which itself is derived from the Greek word "elysia," meaning "heavenly" or "paradise." This connection to celestial and idyllic realms is believed to have influenced the name's adoption and use.
Elycia's earliest recorded instances trace back to the 5th century BC, where it appeared in various Greek texts and inscriptions. One notable example is its mention in the works of the renowned philosopher Plato, who referenced the name in his dialogues on the nature of the soul and the afterlife.
During the Byzantine era, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century AD, Elycia gained further prominence as a Christian name. It was particularly favored among the Greek Orthodox faithful, who associated it with the concepts of divine grace and spiritual enlightenment.
In the Middle Ages, Elycia found its way into the annals of European history through the exploits of Elycia of Alençon, a French noblewoman born in 1182. She was renowned for her patronage of the arts and her support for the construction of several notable churches and monasteries in the region.
The Renaissance period also saw the emergence of notable individuals bearing the name Elycia. One such figure was Elycia de' Medici (1515-1587), a member of the influential Medici family of Florence. She was a renowned patron of the arts and a supporter of the city's flourishing cultural renaissance.
In the realm of literature, the name Elycia gained immortality through the works of William Shakespeare. In his play "Twelfth Night," the character of Olivia is referred to as "Elycia" in some early printed editions, adding a layer of poetic symbolism to her portrayal.
Other notable historical figures with the name Elycia include Elycia of Aragon (1223-1290), a Spanish princess renowned for her philanthropic efforts, and Elycia Venegas (1679-1738), a Mexican nun and mystic celebrated for her spiritual writings and devotional works.
People
Elycia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elycia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elycia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elycia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 430 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elycia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 797,103 US residents.
Is Elycia a common name?
We classify Elycia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 443 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elycia most popular?
The single biggest year for Elycia was 2002, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elycia is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Elycia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elycia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.