Fun Facts About the Name Luce
- 38 babies named Luce: U.S. records list 38 babies given the name Luce from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Luce Mean?
Luce is a feminine given name used in Italian and French, and it means "light." It comes from the Latin noun lux (genitive lucis), "light," the same root behind Lucia, Lucie, and Lucius. In Italian, luce is the ordinary word for "light," and the given name is closely tied to Lucia; in French, Luce is likewise a short form of Lucie. English speakers also use Luce as a surname, where two derivations are proposed: a medieval vernacular form of the given name Lucia (Lucy), and a nickname from Old French luce, "pike," for someone who caught or sold that fish. Which of these lies behind any particular English family is often unclear.
Luce Name History & Origins
The Latin word lux passed into the Romance languages as Italian luce, French luce (now largely poetic), and Spanish luz. The cult of Saint Lucia of Syracuse, a fourth-century martyr, carried her name across Europe, and Luce emerged as a shorter form of Lucia in Italy and France, where Lucie has long been the fuller form. Italian and French families have given Luce to girls; the French philosopher Luce Irigaray is a modern bearer.
In England, Luce appears from the Middle Ages as a vernacular form of Lucia, and it survived mainly as a surname. The English surname has a second proposed source in Old French luce ("pike"). The surname crossed the Atlantic with English colonists; the publisher Henry Luce (1898 - 1967), who founded Time and Life magazines, is among its best-known bearers. In Italy the word also appears in place names, such as the Tuscan comune of Santa Luce.
How Popular is the Name Luce?
Luce has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2020. Its best rank was #4,779 in 1922.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,233 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #12,879 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #12,911 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #12,928 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #19,314 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1922 | #4,779 | 6 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Luce Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Luce's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Luce's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.