Total births
39,720
Boys' name · since 1880
Laurence
39,720 babies named Laurence in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1952. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2170
- among boys today
- 39,720
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Laurence currently ranks #2170 among boys' names in America, with 39,720 babies recorded since 1880.
Laurence has 39,720 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2170 as of the latest data, more common than 85% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2170 among boys today
- 39,720 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Laurence is currently the #2170 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 39,720 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2170
- among boys today
- 39,720
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Laurence vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2170
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Laurence was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
845 babies were named Laurence in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
How Laurence compares
39,720 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Laurence's all-time total is 108x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Laurence | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 39,720 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 845 | 23 | 22,252 |
Laurence's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Laurence splits its recorded history at 1953: 37% of all births land in the more recent half, 63% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1882 (24 births) -- compare that against the 1952 peak of 845 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Laurence at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1952
Current rank
#2,170
Active since
1880
Laurence popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 845
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Laurence popularity over time - girls
495 total births recorded since 1890 (Laurence as girls' name)
Laurence by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Laurence's strongest decade.
6,889 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Laurence births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 303
1880s
303 births
- 1890s 548
1890s
548 births
- 1900s 778
1900s
778 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,714 births
- 1920s
1920s
5,750 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,808 births
- 1940s
1940s
6,670 births
- 1950s
1950s
6,889 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,216 births
- 1970s 1,938
1970s
1,938 births
- 1980s 1,402
1980s
1,402 births
- 1990s 1,073
1990s
1,073 births
- 2000s 661
2000s
661 births
- 2010s 554
2010s
554 births
- 2020s 416
2020s
416 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 6,889 births (17% of all-time use).
How Laurence compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Laurence's total volume
Laurence vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Laurence by state
Where Laurence concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 5,573 | 14.0% |
| #2 | California | | 3,698 | 9.3% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 2,431 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 2,342 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 2,000 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 1,804 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 1,418 | 3.6% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 1,363 | 3.4% |
New York share of Laurence's total US births 14.0%
Even split
5,573 of 39,720 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Laurence appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Laurence? ▼
Laurence has been given to 39,720 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2170 as of the latest data. 845 babies were born in 1952, its single highest year.
When was Laurence most popular? ▼
Laurence was most popular in the 1950s decade with 6,889 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Laurence most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Laurence are New York (5,573 births), California (3,698 births), Illinois (2,431 births).
How long has the name Laurence been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Laurence since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Laurence? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lauren, Laura, Lauro, Laurent, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Laurence's data
- Laurence's decade-level peak was the 1950s (6,889 total births); usage has since declined to 416 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Laurences (5,573 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Laurence
Nearby Names Like Laurence
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Laurence
Lauren Boy
#12381 5,818 births
Laura Boy
2,579 births
Lauro Boy
#4212 2,180 births
Laurent Boy
#5926 1,994 births
Laurie Boy
1,954 births
Compare Laurence side by side: Laurence vs Lauren Laurence vs Laura Laurence vs Lauro
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Laurence
Roscoe #2169
22,159 births · Peak 1920
Jarrett #2171
22,892 births · Peak 1998
Kyzeir #2168
136 births · Peak 2024
Blair #2172
15,009 births · Peak 1963
Symere #2167
369 births · Peak 2025
Lars #2173
7,035 births · Peak 2000
Kaeden #2166
5,100 births · Peak 2008
Jeronimo #2174
2,280 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Laurence: #2170 Boys' Name - 39,720 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/laurence. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Laurence draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.