Holding steady, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Luba since 1912
Babies named Luba per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1952, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Luba's real moment was 1919.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 69 |
| 1920s | 99 |
| 1930s | 64 |
| 1940s | 23 |
| 1950s | 174 |
| 1960s | 81 |
| 1970s | 15 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 12 |
| 2010s | 23 |
| 2020s | 23 |
Meaning & origin
Luba is a Slavic name rooted in the concept of love and peace, primarily used as an endearing diminutive or a stand-alone feminine name. It first appeared in U.S. records in 1912 and reached peak usage in 1919 (at rank 1,742), but has since become extremely rare. As of 2025, its rank is 14,942, with a 1-in-321,453 incidence, indicating fewer than five annual births. The name's trajectory is stable, staying within the bottom ranks of U.S. naming charts. Luba carries a vintage Slavic charm, often associated with Eastern European heritage, and is occasionally chosen by parents seeking a short, distinctive name with a sentimental meaning. Despite its rarity, it remains recognizable in literary and cultural contexts.
Luba is a diminutive of the Slavic name Lubomir, derived from the elements 'lyub' meaning love and 'mir' meaning peace, or from Luboslava, combining 'lyub' with 'slava' meaning glory. It is also used as an independent name in Russian and other Slavic languages. Historically, Luba gained some popularity outside Slavic regions through immigrant communities.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Lubochka, Lubasha
Variants: Ljuba, Lyuba, Luba
Sibling names for Luba
Names that share Luba's style, for a brother or sister.
