| Lucy | Regina | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light | queen |
| Origin | Latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | LOO-see | ruh-JEE-nuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (6,176) | 1962 (5,002) |
| In 2025 | 6,176 | 786 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Lucy | Regina |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 29,759 | 4,995 |
| 2010s | 42,024 | 6,250 |
| 2000s | 19,399 | 4,551 |
| 1990s | 6,090 | 6,915 |
| 1980s | 4,727 | 14,578 |
| 1970s | 3,700 | 28,319 |
| 1960s | 8,671 | 45,827 |
| 1950s | 13,644 | 30,797 |
| 1940s | 13,128 | 12,713 |
| 1930s | 16,413 | 7,045 |
| 1920s | 27,434 | 10,676 |
| 1910s | 23,117 | 7,389 |
| 1900s | 11,020 | 2,243 |
| 1890s | 10,323 | 1,353 |
| 1880s | 7,520 | 621 |
From the Latin lux, “light.” Saint Lucy is associated with light and sight.
From the Latin 'regina', meaning 'queen' (feminine of 'rex'). Long used as a title of the Virgin Mary (Regina Caeli, 'Queen of Heaven'). A literal, well-established 'queen' name.
Lucy is more popular than Regina today: about 6,176 US babies were given the name Lucy in 2025, compared with 786 named Regina.
Lucy means Light (Latin origin), while Regina means queen (latin origin).
In US records, Lucy first appears in 1880 and Regina in 1880, so Lucy has the longer recorded history.