Lucille

The earliest bearer of note was Saint Lucilla of Rome, a 3rd century martyr associated with Pope Saint Caius and commemorated on July 29.

A second Lucilla was the daughter of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and wife of co-emperor Lucius Verus; her conspiracy against her brother Commodus in 182 led to her exile and execution, and her portrait busts survive in major museums.

The French form Lucille emerged during the medieval period and became particularly fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuries at the French court.

Lucille entered English literature through Owen Meredith’s long narrative poem Lucile (1860), 1 of the most popular works of Victorian verse, which went through dozens of printings on both sides of the Atlantic. The B.B.

King song “Lucille” (1968), written about the guitarist’s own Gibson, and Kenny Rogers’ “Lucille” (1977) further cemented the name in American popular consciousness.

The most enduring association, however, remains Lucille Ball (1911-1989), whose sitcom I Love Lucy premiered in 1951 and became a foundational work of American television.

Across the United States, Lucille reached its peak in 1915, when it ranked 24th among girl names. It remained in the top 100 through the 1930s, then gradually declined, falling out of the top 1000 in 1977.

A robust revival began in 2010, and by the mid-2020s Lucille had returned to the top 300, riding the broader Edwardian revival. The name is also current in France, Belgium, and Quebec.

Contemporary bearers include French pianist Lucille Chung and American actress Lucille Soong.