Lucifer
Bearer of light, the shining one, from the Latin lux (light) and ferre (to bear).
Name Census estimates that about 462 living Americans carry the first name Lucifer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lucifer today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lucifer births was 2021 (70 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lucifer. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Lucifer with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
462
~ 1 in 741,893 Americans
Peak year
2021
70 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,766
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Lucifer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lucifer from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 277 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lucifer by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Lucifer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lucifers live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Lucifer, while Utah, Arizona, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lucifer
The name Lucifer originates from the Latin word "lucifer" which means "light-bearer" or "morning star". It is derived from the Latin words "lux" meaning light and "ferre" meaning to bear or carry. The name has its roots in ancient Roman culture and mythology.
The name Lucifer first appeared in the King James Version of the Bible, which was published in 1611. In this text, Lucifer was used to refer to the morning star or the planet Venus. It was also used as a reference to the Devil or Satan in the book of Isaiah.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Lucifer was Lucifer Calaritanus, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD on the island of Sardinia. He was persecuted and executed for his religious beliefs during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Another notable figure named Lucifer was Lucifer of Cagliari, a 4th-century bishop and theologian who lived in Sardinia. He was known for his staunch opposition to the Arian heresy and his defense of the doctrine of the Trinity.
In the 17th century, a Dutch philosopher and writer named Lucifer Holmius de Hartogvelt (1616-1679) used the name Lucifer as his pseudonym. He was known for his controversial and satirical writings which often criticized religious and political authorities.
A famous figure in the 18th century with the name Lucifer was Lucifer Trelawney (1744-1809), an English nobleman and politician who served as a member of the British Parliament.
In the 19th century, there was a French writer and poet named Lucifer Alphonse Vaudère (1826-1898) who published several works of poetry and literary criticism under the name Lucifer.
Despite its association with the Devil or Satan in some religious contexts, the name Lucifer has been used throughout history by individuals from various backgrounds and cultures, often reflecting its original meaning as a "light-bearer" or "morning star".
People
Lucifer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lucifer as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lucifer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lucifer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 462 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lucifer going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 741,893 US residents.
Is Lucifer a common name?
We classify Lucifer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 465 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lucifer most popular?
The single biggest year for Lucifer was 2021, when 70 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lucifer is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Lucifer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lucifer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lucifer in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Lucifer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lucifer in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Lucifer can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Lucifer as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.