| Lucy | Stella | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light | Star |
| Origin | Latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | LOO-see | STEL-uh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (6,176) | 2018 (5,164) |
| In 2025 | 6,176 | 4,136 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Lucy | Stella |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 29,759 | 27,117 |
| 2010s | 42,024 | 44,225 |
| 2000s | 19,399 | 11,843 |
| 1990s | 6,090 | 1,798 |
| 1980s | 4,727 | 1,867 |
| 1970s | 3,700 | 2,563 |
| 1960s | 8,671 | 4,957 |
| 1950s | 13,644 | 8,591 |
| 1940s | 13,128 | 11,363 |
| 1930s | 16,413 | 11,206 |
| 1920s | 27,434 | 25,899 |
| 1910s | 23,117 | 28,526 |
| 1900s | 11,020 | 11,014 |
| 1890s | 10,323 | 9,807 |
| 1880s | 7,520 | 6,130 |
From the Latin lux, “light.” Saint Lucy is associated with light and sight.
Directly from the Latin word 'stella' meaning 'star'. It is the clearest, least disputed star name, used in Latin literature and revived in English since the Renaissance (notably by Sir Philip Sidney).
Lucy is more popular than Stella today: about 6,176 US babies were given the name Lucy in 2025, compared with 4,136 named Stella.
Lucy means Light (Latin origin), while Stella means Star (latin origin).
In US records, Lucy first appears in 1880 and Stella in 1880, so Lucy has the longer recorded history.