Lumina
A feminine name derived from Latin meaning "light" or "to shine".
Name Census estimates that about 201 living Americans carry the first name Lumina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lumina today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lumina births was 2023 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lumina. 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
201
~ 1 in 1,705,245 Americans
Peak year
2023
31 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,719
Tracked since 1885
Popularity
Lumina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lumina from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 115 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lumina 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 Lumina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Luminas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lumina
The name Lumina is derived from the Latin word "lumen," which means "light" or "radiance." This name has its roots in ancient Roman culture, where it was initially used to refer to light sources like lamps or candles. The name's association with light and brightness likely stems from the reverence ancient Romans held for celestial bodies and the sun.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Lumina can be found in the writings of Pliny the Elder, a Roman philosopher and naturalist who lived in the 1st century AD. In his encyclopedic work "Naturalis Historia," he mentioned a woman named Lumina, though little is known about her beyond her name.
In the Middle Ages, the name Lumina gained popularity among European Christians, who saw it as a symbol of the divine light of God. Several notable figures from this era bore the name, including Lumina of Bologna, a 13th-century Italian mystic and Franciscan tertiary.
During the Renaissance, the name Lumina was associated with the humanist movement and the rediscovery of classical learning. One notable bearer of the name was Lumina Fedele (1465-1557), an Italian Renaissance scholar, poet, and philosopher who was celebrated for her intellect and erudition.
In the 17th century, Lumina Goizueta (1615-1684) was a Spanish nun and mystic known for her spiritual writings and her advocacy for the poor and marginalized.
Moving into the modern era, Lumina Wolfe (1897-1980) was a British artist and illustrator who gained recognition for her illustrations in children's books and her vibrant depictions of nature.
While the name Lumina has been used throughout history, it remains relatively uncommon compared to other names from the same linguistic roots. However, its connection to light and radiance has endured, making it a unique and evocative choice for those drawn to its symbolic meaning.
People
Lumina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lumina 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
Lumina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lumina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 201 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lumina 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 1,705,245 US residents.
Is Lumina a common name?
We classify Lumina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 219 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lumina most popular?
The single biggest year for Lumina was 2023, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lumina is about 7 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 Lumina in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lumina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lumina 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.
Is Lumina still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lumina 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 Lumina 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 Americans are named Lumina?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.