Lorelei
Lorelei is a feminine given name originating from the name of the rock headland on the Rhine River. Legends say that a maiden named Lorelei lived on the rock and lured fishermen to their deaths with her song.
Meaning & Origin of Lorelei
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Lorelei is a feminine given name originating from the name of the rock headland on the Rhine River. Legends say that a maiden named Lorelei lived on the rock and lured fishermen to their deaths with her song.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Lorelei
Lorelei first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1916, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 716 Loreleis were born — ranking #450 that year. As of 2026, Lorelei ranks #444 for baby girls with 693 births, holding steady (+3%). In total, more than 19K Loreleis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Lorelei
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Loreley, pen name of Mexican writer María Luisa Garza (1887–1980)
- Lorelei DeCora Means (born 1954), a Native American nurse and civil rights activist
- Lorelei Linklater (born 1994), American actress and multimedia artist
- Luisana Loreley Lopilato de la Torre (born 1987), Argentine actress and model
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Lorelei
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lorelei 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 Lorelei
What does the name Lorelei mean?
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About the name Lorelei
Lorelei is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 19K births in the dataset. Lorelei's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #441. Use the chart and map above to compare Lorelei's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
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- 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.