Luba
A girl's name of Slavic origin with 578 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A female given name from Ukrainian [in turn from Slavic].
Luba is a girl's baby name of Slavic origin meaning 'love,' from the Slavic root lyub- (love, dear). It is a diminutive form of Slavic names like Lyubov (Love) or Lyubomira, widely used in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and across Eastern Europe.
Love-names have a universal appeal, and Luba takes this most fundamental human emotion and distills it into two syllables of pure Slavic warmth. The name carries the emotional richness of Eastern European naming traditions in a form that sounds both exotic and genuinely affectionate.
EtymologyShow more
Though Luba dates back to 1912 in U.S. records, its etymological path is not always straightforward. Names that predate modern naming databases sometimes resist easy classification — they may have been oral traditions, regional family names, or adaptations that were never systematically recorded. The Slavic classification provides a starting point, but the full derivation likely involves more nuance than a single label can capture.
Luba’s 578 recorded births provide enough of a footprint to establish it as a real, chosen name in American culture — not a typo or a one-off, but a deliberate selection by hundreds of families.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Luba has 62+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1912.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 18 | #15010 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 23 | #13708 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 12 | #16892 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 15 | #9602 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 81 | #5488 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 174 | #2763 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 23 | #4696 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 64 | #4026 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 99 | #3349 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 69 | #2856 | — |
The Story of Luba
A Baby Boomer name
Peaking in 1952, Luba is a timeless Baby Boomer name. Girls named Luba are most likely born between 1942 and 1962.
How rare is Luba?
Only about 1 in every 720,000 babies born in 2024 was named Luba — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1912, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1950s with 174 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Luba by the numbers
- Would fill 12 school buses
- Meeting one Luba per day would take 1.6 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(62 years, 1912–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | #16659 |
| 2023 | 5 | #16631 |
| 2021 | 8 | #11741 |
| 2017 | 10 | #10416 |
| 2015 | 8 | #12512 |
| 2013 | 5 | #18195 |
| 2009 | 5 | #19033 |
| 2008 | 7 | #14751 |
| 1976 | 5 | #10178 |
| 1974 | 5 | #9588 |
| 1971 | 5 | #9041 |
| 1969 | 5 | #8135 |
| 1968 | 7 | #5978 |
| 1967 | 5 | #7400 |
| 1966 | 7 | #5579 |
| 1965 | 7 | #5580 |
| 1964 | 9 | #4828 |
| 1963 | 9 | #4746 |
| 1962 | 11 | #4157 |
| 1961 | 11 | #4143 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Luba a boy's or girl's name?
When was Luba most popular?
How popular is the name Luba?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1912–2024