Lucita
A feminine diminutive form of the Spanish name Lucia, meaning "light".
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the first name Lucita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lucita today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lucita births was 1962 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lucita. 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
130
~ 1 in 2,636,572 Americans
Peak year
1962
10 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
2012 SSA rank
#18,473
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Lucita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lucita from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 45 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lucita 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 Lucita 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 Lucita
Lucita is a feminine given name of Spanish origin, derived from the Latin name Lucia, which means "light" or "bringer of light." The name has its roots in the ancient Roman culture and was initially associated with the Roman martyr Saint Lucia, who lived in the 3rd century AD.
The earliest recorded usage of the name Lucita dates back to the Middle Ages in Spain and Portugal. It was a diminutive form of Lucia, often used as a pet name or nickname for girls named Lucia. The name gained popularity in these regions during the Renaissance period and was commonly found in historical records and literary works of the time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Lucita was Lucita de Moncada, a Spanish noblewoman who lived in the 14th century. She was renowned for her beauty and intelligence and played a significant role in the court of King Pedro IV of Aragon.
Another notable historical figure with the name Lucita was Lucita Marquez, a renowned Spanish painter from the 17th century. She was known for her exquisite portraiture and religious paintings, many of which can be found in museums and churches throughout Spain.
In the 19th century, Lucita Granadina was a famous Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer. She was instrumental in popularizing flamenco dance and music throughout Europe and is regarded as one of the pioneers of the art form.
Moving into the 20th century, Lucita Hurtado was a renowned Mexican-American artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings. Born in 1923, she was part of the avant-garde art scene in Los Angeles and is celebrated for her unique style and contributions to modern art.
Lastly, Lucita Venloppen was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II. Born in 1915, she played a crucial role in helping Allied soldiers and Jewish refugees escape Nazi-occupied territories, risking her life in the process. Her bravery and selflessness have been recognized and celebrated in numerous historical accounts of the war.
While the name Lucita has its roots in ancient Roman culture, it has been embraced and popularized across various regions and cultures throughout history, with notable bearers making significant contributions in fields ranging from art and literature to dance and resistance movements.
People
Lucita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lucita 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
Lucita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lucita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 130 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lucita 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 2,636,572 US residents.
Is Lucita a common name?
We classify Lucita as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 188 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lucita most popular?
The single biggest year for Lucita was 1962, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lucita is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lucita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lucita 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.