L, the flowing letter, and names that mean light
Linguists call L a "liquid" consonant, because the air flows around the sides of the tongue instead of stopping. The Phoenicians named their letter lamed, meaning an ox goad, and drew it as a tall hook. In names, that liquid sound gives L a lilting, musical quality: Lily, Layla, Luna and Leo all seem to float.
Light, lions and the moon
Latin drives the letter. Lucy, Lucas, Lucian, Lucille, Luciana and Lux all share an old root meaning light, and the nickname Lu works for them all. Luna is the moon, and Leo, Leon and Leona are lions. Together they make a ready-made palette for parents who like celestial or animal names. More Latin names are easy to find in our list.
Short names that sing
L is also a letter for very short names. Chinese offers Lan (orchid), Li (beautiful), Lian (lotus) and Lin, which can be given to any child. Hawaiian adds Lani (sky) and Leilani (heavenly flower), and the Hebrew list includes Lia, Liat and Liora. Linnea, a Swedish name, honours the botanist Carl Linnaeus and means twinflower, a small woodland plant.
Welsh and Irish give a stronger sound. Llewelyn means "like a lion", and Lorcan, from Irish, means "little fierce one".
L names worth a closer look
- Linnea
A pretty Scandinavian flower name tied to a famous botanist.
- Lucian
A Latin name that sounds literary and carries a clear meaning of light.
- Leilani
A Hawaiian name with a rhythmic sound and a floral meaning.
- Lorcan
An Irish boy name with a little bite, and a nickname, Lor, ready-made.
- Laleh
A Persian name meaning tulip, short and bright.
Famous people whose first names start with L
- Leonardo da Vinci, the painter, inventor and thinker of the Renaissance
- Ludwig van Beethoven, the composer who kept writing music as he lost his hearing
- Leo Tolstoy, the Russian author of War and Peace
- Louis Armstrong, the trumpeter and singer who shaped jazz
- Lucille Ball, the comedian and star of I Love Lucy
- Lionel Messi, the Argentine footballer
- Lise Meitner, the physicist who helped explain nuclear fission
Questions about L names
Which L names mean light?
Lucy, Lucas, Lucian, Lucille, Luciana and Lux all share the Latin root for light. Luna, by contrast, means moon.
Which L names are unisex?
Lux, Lin and Lane all suit children of any gender in our list.