Lucian
Lucian was given to 670 boys in 2025, #462 among boys’ names; 14,501 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 11,100 Americans named Lucian and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (77% of everyone recorded); the median is 12 years old and half are between 5 and 19.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Lucian by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Lucian mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Lucian is “a male given name from Latin, rare in the English-speaking world.” Its etymology gives the sense “light” (lūx).
From Latin Lūcianus, either a derivative of the Roman praenomen Lūcius, from lūx (“light”); or from Ancient Greek Λουκιανός (Loukianós), of obscure meaning.
/ˈluː.sɪən/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Lucian?
#462 among boys’ names, 2025
Lucian rose from #633 in 2015 to #462 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 0.22 to 0.39 per 1,000.
670 babies in 2025, the peak
Lucian peaked in 2025, when 670 boys were given it, #462 among boys’ names. In 2024 it went to 635 boys.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 670 | #462 | 0.39 |
| 2024 | 635 | #487 | 0.37 |
| 2023 | 613 | #489 | 0.36 |
| 2022 | 543 | #547 | 0.31 |
| 2021 | 469 | #594 | 0.27 |
| 2020 | 421 | #636 | 0.24 |
| 2019 | 398 | #665 | 0.22 |
| 2018 | 396 | #648 | 0.22 |
| 2017 | 469 | #579 | 0.25 |
| 2016 | 428 | #626 | 0.23 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 422 | #633 | 0.22 |
| 2014 | 441 | #607 | 0.23 |
| 2013 | 393 | #626 | 0.21 |
| 2012 | 435 | #587 | 0.23 |
| 2011 | 419 | #596 | 0.22 |
| 2010 | 448 | #567 | 0.23 |
| 2009 | 426 | #607 | 0.21 |
| 2008 | 272 | #807 | 0.13 |
| 2007 | 281 | #779 | 0.14 |
| 2006 | 249 | #818 | 0.12 |
| 2005 | 217 | #847 | 0.11 |
| 2004 | 142 | #1,119 | 0.07 |
| 2003 | 82 | #1,556 | 0.04 |
| 2002 | 73 | #1,641 | 0.04 |
| 2001 | 71 | #1,649 | 0.04 |
| 2000 | 60 | #1,806 | 0.03 |
| 1999 | 45 | #2,122 | 0.02 |
| 1998 | 41 | #2,221 | 0.02 |
| 1997 | 52 | #1,825 | 0.03 |
| 1996 | 34 | #2,356 | 0.02 |
| 1995 | 33 | #2,378 | 0.02 |
| 1994 | 32 | #2,425 | 0.02 |
| 1993 | 44 | #1,880 | 0.02 |
| 1992 | 24 | #2,884 | 0.01 |
| 1991 | 30 | #2,371 | 0.01 |
| 1990 | 37 | #2,029 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 35 | #2,047 | 0.02 |
| 1988 | 34 | #1,931 | 0.02 |
| 1987 | 16 | #3,141 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 25 | #2,262 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 25 | #2,203 | 0.01 |
| 1984 | 28 | #1,957 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 28 | #1,934 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 37 | #1,633 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 29 | #1,928 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 43 | #1,458 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 34 | #1,693 | 0.02 |
| 1978 | 33 | #1,680 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 31 | #1,728 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 36 | #1,522 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 24 | #1,979 | 0.02 |
| 1974 | 16 | #2,517 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 21 | #2,009 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 27 | #1,707 | 0.02 |
| 1971 | 22 | #1,961 | 0.01 |
| 1970 | 28 | #1,643 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 28 | #1,547 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 22 | #1,714 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 23 | #1,630 | 0.01 |
| 1966 | 21 | #1,705 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 27 | #1,500 | 0.01 |
| 1964 | 37 | #1,300 | 0.02 |
| 1963 | 36 | #1,313 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 22 | #1,737 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 35 | #1,363 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 49 | #1,127 | 0.02 |
| 1959 | 35 | #1,331 | 0.02 |
| 1958 | 32 | #1,387 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 35 | #1,337 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 37 | #1,273 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 54 | #1,029 | 0.03 |
| 1954 | 42 | #1,159 | 0.02 |
| 1953 | 45 | #1,095 | 0.02 |
| 1952 | 67 | #856 | 0.03 |
| 1951 | 65 | #870 | 0.03 |
| 1950 | 36 | #1,212 | 0.02 |
| 1949 | 52 | #961 | 0.03 |
| 1948 | 40 | #1,136 | 0.02 |
| 1947 | 49 | #1,032 | 0.03 |
| 1946 | 49 | #959 | 0.03 |
| 1945 | 43 | #982 | 0.03 |
| 1944 | 63 | #793 | 0.05 |
| 1943 | 45 | #1,002 | 0.03 |
| 1942 | 60 | #846 | 0.04 |
| 1941 | 47 | #933 | 0.04 |
| 1940 | 42 | #1,002 | 0.04 |
| 1939 | 47 | #912 | 0.04 |
| 1938 | 51 | #875 | 0.05 |
| 1937 | 50 | #877 | 0.05 |
| 1936 | 47 | #903 | 0.05 |
| 1935 | 39 | #1,034 | 0.04 |
| 1934 | 52 | #873 | 0.05 |
| 1933 | 55 | #838 | 0.06 |
| 1932 | 57 | #847 | 0.05 |
| 1931 | 65 | #779 | 0.06 |
| 1930 | 83 | #688 | 0.08 |
| 1929 | 69 | #778 | 0.06 |
| 1928 | 68 | #794 | 0.06 |
| 1927 | 90 | #681 | 0.08 |
| 1926 | 78 | #724 | 0.07 |
| 1925 | 101 | #633 | 0.09 |
| 1924 | 104 | #631 | 0.09 |
| 1923 | 103 | #634 | 0.09 |
| 1922 | 123 | #579 | 0.11 |
| 1921 | 98 | #653 | 0.09 |
| 1920 | 123 | #556 | 0.12 |
| 1919 | 80 | #699 | 0.08 |
| 1918 | 102 | #609 | 0.10 |
| 1917 | 105 | #578 | 0.11 |
| 1916 | 121 | #518 | 0.14 |
| 1915 | 124 | #499 | 0.15 |
| 1914 | 80 | #559 | 0.12 |
| 1913 | 59 | #570 | 0.12 |
| 1912 | 49 | #577 | 0.11 |
| 1911 | 33 | #518 | 0.15 |
| 1910 | 17 | #744 | 0.09 |
| 1909 | 23 | #552 | 0.14 |
| 1908 | 21 | #560 | 0.14 |
| 1907 | 20 | #550 | 0.14 |
| 1906 | 11 | #789 | 0.08 |
| 1905 | 16 | #606 | 0.12 |
| 1904 | 13 | #671 | 0.10 |
| 1903 | 12 | #684 | 0.10 |
| 1902 | 13 | #636 | 0.11 |
| 1901 | 12 | #624 | 0.11 |
| 1900 | 21 | #522 | 0.14 |
| 1899 | 16 | #494 | 0.15 |
| 1898 | 20 | #464 | 0.16 |
| 1897 | 13 | #602 | 0.12 |
| 1896 | 19 | #473 | 0.16 |
| 1895 | 15 | #544 | 0.13 |
| 1894 | 17 | #491 | 0.15 |
| 1893 | 19 | #426 | 0.17 |
| 1892 | 17 | #490 | 0.14 |
| 1891 | 8 | #742 | 0.08 |
| 1890 | 16 | #474 | 0.14 |
| 1889 | 21 | #398 | 0.19 |
| 1888 | 26 | #365 | 0.22 |
| 1887 | 19 | #384 | 0.19 |
| 1886 | 18 | #423 | 0.16 |
| 1885 | 25 | #351 | 0.23 |
| 1884 | 20 | #407 | 0.17 |
| 1883 | 21 | #378 | 0.20 |
| 1882 | 21 | #396 | 0.18 |
| 1881 | 30 | #292 | 0.30 |
| 1880 | 18 | #416 | 0.16 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Lucian a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Lucian has been given almost only to boys: 32 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Lucian: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Lucian, and how old are they?
11,100 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 77% of the 14,501 Americans ever recorded as Lucian. The median Lucian alive today is 12 years old; half are between 5 and 19.
The 2020 Census counted 8,220 people named Lucian (175 women and girls, 8,045 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 8,161 born in the U.S. The Census count is 1% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 176 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 528 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 397 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 467 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 3,280 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 6,260 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Lucian born?
The states with the most babies named Lucian are California, Texas and Florida, with 35% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 93 | #374 | 0.7× |
| Texas | 71 | #470 | 0.9× |
| Florida | 54 | #364 | 0.8× |
| New York | 43 | #401 | 0.8× |
| Washington | 22 | #345 | 0.9× |
| Oregon | 20 | #212 | 1.3× |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | #541 | 0.5× |
| North Carolina | 18 | #557 | 0.5× |
| New Jersey | 18 | #439 | 0.4× |
| Michigan | 17 | #507 | 0.7× |
Where Lucian is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Lucian is most over-represented in Kentucky: since 1910 it was given 2.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Lucian with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 4 names spelled alike, given to 25,103 babies since 1880, Lucian is the most given (58% of them). In 2025 it was given to 670 of their 950 babies (71%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Lucian
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Lucian and names like it
- Compare Lucian and LucienBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sLucian peaked in 2025.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Lucian since 1910.
- Latin namesWiktionary’s origin for Lucian: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2025The year the most babies were named Lucian.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Lucian alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with LMost given first.