Lucian

Did you know?

A few things about Lucian you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Lucian

Lucian of Samosata

2nd-century Syrian satirist and rhetorician

Choose Lucian and your child shares a first name with Lucian of Samosata, a 2nd-century Syrian satirist and rhetorician. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Lucian, like who?” Lucian of Samosata's Wikipedia article is available in 106 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Lucian of Samosata on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: William Faithorne, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,549 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Lucian, 670 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Lucian would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryLucian has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Lucians, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 1881, when it reached #289.
• 📈Then vs nowLucian is 13× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 32,787 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 2,549.
• 🚀TrendLucian has climbed 173 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #462. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedLucian is most popular in Oregon, where it ranks #210, followed by New Mexico (#236) and Oklahoma (#328). It's in the top 1,000 in 33 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Latin, Lucian means “light”. Our records link it to English and Latin roots.

About the name Lucian

Lucian is a boy name of English and Latin origin meaning “light”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-ian”. US birth records list Lucian for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked #289 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #462, with 670 babies.

Origin:English namesLatin names