Lucius
/ˈluːʃəs/
A Latin name that comes from the word for light
Latin · from the word lux
In ancient Rome it was a common forename, written simply as L. In 2025 there were 189, after a low of 14 in 1995.
Lucius at a glance
What Lucius means
A Latin name that comes from the word for light — from the word lux
Lucius comes from the Latin word lux, meaning light, and is tied to the verb lucere, to shine. A second suggestion traces it to the Etruscan Lauchum, said to mean king, so the origin is widely agreed on but not completely settled.
In ancient Rome Lucius was one of a small group of very common forenames, the praenomina. Lucia and Lucy are its feminine forms, and relatives such as Lucas, Lucian and Luciano grew from the same root in other languages.
Lucius belongs to the oldest layer of Roman history. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, a legendary king placed in the years 616 to 579 BC, carried it, and so did the dictator Sulla in the first century before Christ and the emperor Lucius Verus more than two centuries after that. Seen together, they show how steadily the Romans kept returning to the name.
In the Social Security files Lucius appears in every year since 1880, and it was already in use at #259 in 1881. It slid to its quietest in 1995, when only 14 boys received it. Since then it has grown about 14-fold. It is at its highest yet: #1,129 in 2025 with 189 boys.
Source and context
The name history comes from Wikipedia, the people from linked Wikipedia pages, and every number from US Social Security data. We rewrite everything in our own words.
- Paragraph 1 Wikipedia: Lucius
- Paragraph 2 Wikipedia: Lucius
- Paragraph 3 Wikipedia: Lucius, Wikipedia: Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Wikipedia: Lucius Verus
- Paragraph 4 US Social Security Administration
- Note Wikipedia: Lucius
The numbers behind Lucius
A look at the rankings over time and across places.
Lucius: its best rank in ten years
How Lucius ranks among boys’ names each year, 2015 to 2025. A lower number means more popular.
Lucius’s rank climbed from #1,300 in 2015 to #1,129 in 2025, and 2025 is its best year in this ten-year view.
Lucius: from quiet years to today
- 1914Passed 100 babies
105 boys · rank #474 - 1995Quietest year
14 boys · rank #4,424 - 2025Latest year
#1,129 among boys · 189 boys
States where Lucius ranks highest
Ranked by how popular Lucius is among boys’ names in each state in 2025 (in-state rank, not births per head). Iowa ranks Lucius highest (#638 among boys), then Kansas (#665) and Washington (#712). Florida, California, Colorado, Michigan and Tennessee complete the top eight.
- 1Iowa#638
- 2Kansas#665
- 3Washington#712
- 4Florida#834
- 5California#896
- 6Colorado#920
- 7Michigan#964
- 8Tennessee#999
Lucius since 1880
Babies named Lucius in the US each year, 1880 to 2025.
In use since 1880, quiet by 1995,
then at its highest yet in 2025.
Lucius has been recorded every year since 1880. It reached 151 boys in 1916, fell to 14 in 1995, peaked at 189 in 2025 and stood at 189 in 2025.
Source: US Social Security Administration, national baby name data, 1880–2025. Calculation: NameMochi.
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The story around Lucius
Notable people and namesakes
Early and historical bearers include the legendary king Lucius Tarquinius Priscus (reigned 616 to 579 BC), the Roman consul and dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla (138 to 78 BC), the Stoic philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca (about 4 BC to AD 65) and the Roman emperor Lucius Verus (130–169).
Lucius in pop culture
Harry Potter Novel
Lucius Malfoy is a character in the series.
Batman comics Character
Lucius Fox is a long-running character in the Batman stories.
The Incredibles Film
Frozone, whose full name is Lucius Best, is one of the film’s superheroes.
Names like Lucius
Names with the same Latin feel, and the close relatives that grew from the same root.
Compare names
Four names compared here, ranked among boys: Duncan (#1,124), Eleazar (#1,128), Lucius (#1,129), Lazarus (#1,143). One of them has lost ground since 2015.
| Name | Style | Latest rank | Change since 2015 | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucius | Latin · Two syllables · Classic | #1,129 | ↑ 171 places | Rising |
| Duncan | Scottish classic | #1,124 | ↓ 334 places | Cooling |
| Eleazar | Biblical | #1,128 | ↑ 233 places | Rising |
| Lazarus | Biblical classic | #1,143 | ↑ 293 places | Rising fast |
Change is the move in rank since 2015, so a name can climb in rank while fewer babies are given it.
Stage compares the number of babies named in 2025 with 2015 (rising or cooling at 25% or more, fast at 50% or more).
What draws people to Lucius
- A rare name with a long and clear history.Our view
- Its meaning, light, is easy to love.Our view
- About 190 boys were given the name in 2025.From the data
- Almost entirely a boy’s name: 100% of babies named Lucius are boys.From the data
- Easy to say and spell, and still an uncommon choice.Our view
Things to consider
- Rare: only 189 boys were given the name in 2025.From the data
- With so few babies a year, small shifts move the rank a lot: it rose 264 places in 2025.From the data
Common questions about Lucius
Is Lucius a boy’s name or a girl’s name?
Lucius is a boy’s name. In 2025, 189 boys were named Lucius against 0 girls.
What does Lucius mean?
Lucius comes from the Latin word lux, meaning light. A second suggestion links it to the Etruscan Lauchum, said to mean king, so the origin is widely agreed on but not fully settled.
How common is the name Lucius?
Rare. In 2025, 189 American babies were named Lucius, so it is an uncommon name in most classrooms.
Is Lucius still rising?
Lucius is at its highest yet, with 189 boys in 2025. Over ten years it is still up 38%.
Who are some people named Lucius?
Examples include the Roman dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla, the philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca and the emperor Lucius Verus. In fiction, Lucius Malfoy appears in Harry Potter and Lucius Best is the hero Frozone in The Incredibles.
Lucius was a common forename in ancient Rome, written simply as L. Explore more names in the Finder →
How these numbers are built
Sources → Calculations → Limitations
Sources
- The US Social Security Administration’s national and state baby name files, built from Social Security card applications for births in the United States.SSA baby name data
- Data year
- Births through 2025. New data arrives each May, and we recalculate this page then.
- Dates
- Published October 2026. Last updated October 2026.
- Word and history sources
- Name history and the people who share the name come from reference works.Wikipedia: LuciusWikipedia: Lucius Cornelius SullaWikipedia: Lucius Annaeus SenecaWikipedia: Lucius Verus
Calculations
- Ranks
- A rank is the name’s position among girls or among boys in the SSA file for that year (most babies = #1). Girls and boys are ranked separately.
- Counts
- Babies given exactly this spelling. Spelling variants are counted separately.
- Growth, peaks, milestones, shares and comparisons are calculated by NameMochi from those files.How NameMochi calculates
- Stat cards
- The five cards are the most informative facts available for this name, picked by a score and shown in a fixed order.
Limitations
- US births only. The files record the sex shown on the application, which says nothing about how a child later identifies. Names given to fewer than five babies in a year are left out.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Calculation: NameMochi.