The rare name Lygia both returned to U.S. baby name data and saw its highest-ever usage in 1952:
- 1954: 11 baby girls named Lygia
- 1953: 9 baby girls named Lygia
- 1952: 16 baby girls named Lygia [peak]
- 1951: unlisted
- 1950: unlisted
Why?
Because of the Oscar-nominated 1951 movie Quo Vadis, which was set in Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero. The film featured a character named Lygia (played by Deborah Kerr).
Lygia (pronounced LIHJ-ee-ah) was a foreigner raised in the home of retired Roman general Aulus Plautius. Though born a princess, she’d been captured during a military campaign against her people and was legally considered a slave. Notably, Lygia was a devout Christian, but her love interest, Roman commander Marcus Vinicius, was not.
The name Lygia can be traced back to an Ancient Greek word meaning “clear-voiced” or “clear-toned.”
What are your thoughts on the name Lygia?
Sources: SSA, Quo Vadis (1951 film) – Wikipedia, Quo Vadis (1951) – TCM, Behind the Name
P.S. The title of the movie has also been used as a baby name…