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