Declining since 2021, #4,539 for boys today.
Popularity of Lucifer since 2002
Babies named Lucifer per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 32 |
| 2010s | 156 |
| 2020s | 300 |
Meaning & origin
Lucifer is among the most controversial given names in the U.S. database. First recorded as a baby name in 2002, it reached its peak rank of 4,539 in 2025, with an incidence of 1 in 77,640 boys. Its popularity has been falling since 2021, likely reflecting cultural shifts. The name's root meaning, 'light-bringer', is purely descriptive, but its dominant association with the devil in Christian tradition makes it a highly charged choice for parents.
Lucifer derives from Latin lux (stem luc-) 'light' and ferre 'to bring', literally 'light-bringer'. In classical Roman context, it referred to the planet Venus as the morning star. Early Christian writers used it as a Latin name for the Devil, drawing on the Vulgate translation of Isaiah 14:12, which applied the Hebrew term heylel ('shining one') to a fallen Babylonian king, reinterpreted as Satan. Despite this strong association, the name has occasionally been used in modern times, first recorded as a given name in the United States in 2002.
Sibling names for Lucifer
Names that share Lucifer's style, for a brother or sister.
