Meaning & History
Laci is a variant of the name Lacy, which itself originates as a surname derived from Lassy, a town in Normandy, France. The town's name is of Gaulish origin, possibly from a personal name Latinized as Lascius. Traditionally more common as a masculine name in the United States, Lacy began gaining popularity for girls around 1975.
The spelling Laci saw a dramatic spike in usage for American girls in 2003, largely due to the national media coverage surrounding the tragic murder of 27-year-old Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance in December 2002. The case, which dominated American news, brought the variant spelling Laci into the public consciousness and prompted many parents to adopt it as a tribute or simply as a name that felt familiar. Before 2003, the name had rarely appeared in birth records; afterwards, it entered the top 1,000 female names in the United States for a short period.
Other variant forms include Lacie, which also has visibility in English-speaking countries.
- Meaning: Variant of Lacy, meaning from the town of Lassy in Normandy.
- Origin: French (Norman), Gaulish.
- Type: Given name, traditionally masculine but now predominantly feminine.
- Usage Regions: English-speaking countries, particularly the United States.