| Lucy | Violet | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light | Violet flower |
| Origin | Latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | LOO-see | VY-uh-let |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (6,176) | 2025 (7,546) |
| In 2025 | 6,176 | 7,546 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Lucy | Violet |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 29,759 | 38,031 |
| 2010s | 42,024 | 41,581 |
| 2000s | 19,399 | 9,811 |
| 1990s | 6,090 | 1,699 |
| 1980s | 4,727 | 1,393 |
| 1970s | 3,700 | 1,243 |
| 1960s | 8,671 | 2,256 |
| 1950s | 13,644 | 4,153 |
| 1940s | 13,128 | 6,553 |
| 1930s | 16,413 | 13,863 |
| 1920s | 27,434 | 30,022 |
| 1910s | 23,117 | 23,157 |
| 1900s | 11,020 | 7,844 |
| 1890s | 10,323 | 3,076 |
| 1880s | 7,520 | 879 |
From the Latin lux, “light.” Saint Lucy is associated with light and sight.
IS a bloom word: from the flower, via Old French 'violete', a diminutive of Latin 'viola' (violet). Also the name of the purple colour named after the flower.
Violet is more popular than Lucy today: about 7,546 US babies were given the name Violet in 2025, compared with 6,176 named Lucy.
Lucy means Light (Latin origin), while Violet means Violet flower (latin origin).
In US records, Lucy first appears in 1880 and Violet in 1880, so Lucy has the longer recorded history.