Lucia is the Italian and Spanish form of Lucy — from the Latin lux, meaning "light." Saint Lucia of Syracuse (283–304 CE), a Christian martyr, has her feast day on December 13 — the date that was the winter solstice in the old Julian calendar, and is still celebrated in Scandinavia with the festival of Santa Lucia, where girls wear crowns of candles.
Lucia is one of the most popular girl names in Spain, Italy, and across Latin America. In the U.S. it sits comfortably in the top 150 and is rising. Three soft syllables, a clear meaning, and a saint with a January candlelight festival attached.
Lucia reduces to eight — the number of strength, dignity, and quiet command.