Boy · #2,293 in 2026

Laurence

Name: Popularity of the name Laurence in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Laurence, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Laurence is in modern use as an English masculine and a French feminine given name. The modern English masculine name is a variant of Lawrence and originates from a French form of the Latin Laurentius, a name meaning "man from Laurentum".

English
French

Current Rank

#2,293

Peak Rank

#201 (1952)

Total Babies

40K

5-Yr Trend

-4%

1890

First Year

2022

Last Year

1925

Peak Year

#2119

Peak Rank

490

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Laurence

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English
French

The Story of Laurence

American parents first put Laurence on the record books as a baby boy name in 1880, with 25 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1952, when 845 Laurences were born — ranking #231 that year. As of 2026, Laurence ranks #2,293 for baby boys with 63 births, holding steady (-4%). All told, over 40K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Laurence

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Laurence. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Laurence

Phonetically similar names — useful when Laurence is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Laurence

What does the name Laurence mean?

What is the origin of the name Laurence?

Laurence has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, French.

How popular is Laurence in 2026?

In 2026, Laurence ranks #2,293 among boys' names in the U.S., with 63 babies given the name that year.

When was Laurence most popular?

Laurence reached its peak popularity in 1952, ranking #201 that year with 845 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Laurence most popular?

Laurence has historically been most popular in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Laurence.

Is Laurence a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Laurence is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Laurence?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Laurence include Cade, Tyrese, Enoch. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Laurence?

Common variants and related forms of Laurence include Larrie, Larry, Lauren, Laurie, Lawrence, Lawrie. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Laurence

Laurence is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 40K births in the dataset. Laurence's peak popularity came in 1952 when it ranked #201. Use the chart and map above to compare Laurence's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.