Lugh
An Irish masculine given name of Celtic origin meaning "shining one".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Lugh. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lugh today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lugh births was 2021 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lugh. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lugh. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2021
6 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2021 SSA rank
#11,593
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Lugh: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lugh 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 Lugh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lugh
The name Lugh originated from Irish mythology and is derived from the Old Irish word "loch", meaning "bright" or "shining". It was the name of the Celtic sun god, one of the most important deities in Irish pagan tradition. Lugh was celebrated during the festival of Lughnasadh, which marked the beginning of the harvest season and was later incorporated into the Christian calendar as Lammas.
Lugh was a prominent figure in Irish mythology, renowned for his skills as a warrior, craftsman, and king. He was associated with many talents and was considered a master of all arts and crafts. The ancient Irish texts, such as the Mythological Cycle of the Ulster Cycle, depict Lugh as a heroic figure who played a crucial role in the mythological battles between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lugh can be found in the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions), a medieval Irish Christian pseudo-historical narrative that traces the origins of the Irish people. In this text, Lugh is portrayed as a skilled warrior and a leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who helped defeat the Fomorians and establish the sovereignty of his people over Ireland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lugh or its variants. One example is Lugh Lamfhota (Lugh the Long-Armed), a legendary Irish king who ruled in the 6th century BCE. Another notable figure is Lugh Lámh-fhada (Lugh the Long-Handed), a mythical Irish hero known for his extraordinary skill in hurling.
In more recent times, the name Lugh has been used by various individuals, such as Lugh Ó Cléirigh (1630-1707), an Irish historian and genealogist, and Lugh Núadhat (1890-1924), an Irish language revivalist and writer. Additionally, Lugh has been adopted as a stage name by contemporary artists and musicians, reflecting the enduring cultural significance of this ancient Celtic name.
People
Lugh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lugh 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
Lugh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lugh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lugh 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Lugh a common name?
We classify Lugh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lugh most popular?
The single biggest year for Lugh was 2021, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lugh is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Lugh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lugh a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lugh in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Lugh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lugh in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Lugh can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Lugh as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.