Lucila
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "light" or "bright one".
Name Census estimates that about 1,887 living Americans carry the first name Lucila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lucila today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lucila births was 1982 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lucila. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 181,640 Americans
Peak year
1982
40 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,523
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Lucila: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lucila from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 331 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Lucila remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lucila 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 Lucila during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lucilas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Lucila, while Florida, Illinois, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 292 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lucila
The given name Lucila has its origins in the Latin language, believed to have been derived from the Latin word "luculus," meaning "little light" or "little lamp." This name's roots can be traced back to ancient Roman times, where it was primarily used as a feminine diminutive form of the name Lucia, which itself stems from the Latin word "lux," meaning "light."
The earliest recorded instance of the name Lucila dates back to the 1st century AD, when it was mentioned in Roman inscriptions and historical texts. One notable figure from this era was Lucila, the daughter of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his wife Faustina the Younger. She lived during the 2nd century AD and was known for her intellectual pursuits and interest in philosophy.
During the Middle Ages, the name Lucila continued to be used, particularly in regions with strong Latin influences, such as Italy and Spain. It was also adopted in some Germanic regions, where it was spelled as "Lucilla" or "Lucille."
In the Renaissance period, the name Lucila gained popularity among the intellectual and artistic circles of Italy. One notable figure from this time was Lucila Arrivabene, an Italian poet and writer born in 1619 in Mantua, Italy. She was renowned for her literary contributions and her involvement in the cultural and intellectual life of the city.
In the 18th century, the name Lucila was used by several notable figures, including Lucila Palacios Valdés, a Spanish writer and poet born in 1783 in Asturias, Spain. She was known for her contributions to the Romantic literary movement in Spain and her advocacy for women's education.
Another prominent figure with the name Lucila was Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, a Chilean feminist and activist born in 1889. She played a crucial role in the women's suffrage movement in Chile and was instrumental in the establishment of the Women's Civic Union, an organization dedicated to promoting women's rights and political participation.
Throughout history, the name Lucila has been associated with individuals from various fields, including literature, philosophy, activism, and politics. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Roman times, the name has transcended cultural and geographical boundaries, reflecting its enduring appeal and versatility.
People
Lucila + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lucila as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lucila: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lucila?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,887 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lucila 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 181,640 US residents.
Is Lucila a common name?
We classify Lucila as "Rare". It ranks above 93.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,458 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lucila most popular?
The single biggest year for Lucila was 1982, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lucila is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lucila a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lucila 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.