Lawrence
Lawrence is a masculine given name. It is an Anglicisation of the French Laurent, which is in turn derived from the Latin Laurentius or Old Greek Lavrenti. Pet forms of Lawrence include Larry, Lawrie and, less commonly, Law.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Lawrence
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Lawrence is a masculine given name. It is an Anglicisation of the French Laurent, which is in turn derived from the Latin Laurentius or Old Greek Lavrenti. Pet forms of Lawrence include Larry, Lawrie and, less commonly, Law.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Lawrence
American parents first put Lawrence on the record books as a baby boy name in 1880, with 257 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1952, when 10,302 Lawrences were born — ranking #35 that year. About 20% of every Lawrence on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Lawrence ranks #508 for baby boys with 600 births, gradually rising (+6%). All told, over 462K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Lawrence
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Lawrence. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Lawrence
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lawrence 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 Lawrence
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About the name Lawrence
Lawrence is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 462K births in the dataset. Lawrence's peak popularity came in 1952 when it ranked #30. Use the chart and map above to compare Lawrence's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1952 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.