Laurence — #2184 US boys' name
39,627 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.
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
17% of everyone ever named Laurence was born in this single decade.
845 babies were named Laurence in 1952 — its busiest year on record.
What the Data Says About Laurence
The Social Security Administration has registered 39,627 babies named Laurence between 1880 and 2024, spanning 145 consecutive years of U.S. birth records. As a boy's name, Laurence currently holds the #2184 rank among boys for 2024. The name reached its historical peak in 1952, when 845 babies received it in a single year.
Decade-level aggregation shows that Laurence performed strongest in the 1950s, accumulating 6,889 births during that ten-year window. Across the 15 decades of recorded activity, Laurence shows a clear decline from its mid-century high. Geographically, the name is most concentrated in New York, which accounts for 5,568 births — the largest state-level total in the dataset — followed by California and Illinois. In total, SSA state-level files list Laurence in 49 of the 51 U.S. reporting jurisdictions.
No etymological entry is currently available for Laurence in our reference dataset. These figures derive from SSA's annual national and state-level name files, which include any name appearing at least five times in a given year or state-year; names below that threshold are suppressed for privacy and therefore excluded from the totals shown here. The 39,627 total represents a lower bound — actual usage may be higher in years or states where the count fell below the disclosure floor. This page is provided for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute personal, legal, or naming advice.
Laurence at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
Current rank
Active since
Laurence popularity over time — boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2024–1880
- Peak year (1952)
- 845
- Annual births at peak — across 145 years of records
Currently ranks #2184 among boys.
39,627 total births across 145 years of SSA records. Peaked in 1952 with 845 births in a single year.
Laurence popularity over time — girls
490 total births recorded since 1890 (Laurence as girls' name)
Unisex use remains the minority pattern
The girls' variant of Laurence accounts for 1% of total recorded use across both genders.
Laurence by decade
Total births in each ten-year window — peak vs trough at a glance
- Peak decade
- 1950s
- 6,889 births that decade — 17% of Laurence's all-time total
Laurence decade highlights
- Peak decade 6,889 births
- Runner-up 6,670 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
1950s was Laurence's strongest decade
6,889 babies received the name during that ten-year window — about 17% of all-time use.
Laurence by state
Where Laurence concentrates geographically — total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 5,568 | 14.1% |
| #2 | California | | 3,689 | 9.3% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 2,431 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Massachusetts | | 2,342 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 2,000 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 1,804 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 1,418 | 3.6% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 1,363 | 3.4% |
5,568 of 39,627 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- New York 14.1% of nationwide
- California 9.3% of nationwide
- Illinois 6.1% of nationwide
- Massachusetts 5.9% of nationwide
- Michigan 5.0% of nationwide
Recorded in 49 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
New York accounts for 14.1% of all recorded births nationwide — a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Laurence appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Sources
Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, 1880–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames). National-level data includes all names with 5 or more occurrences in a given year.
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names — State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip). Includes all names with 5 or more occurrences per state per year; rarer names are excluded for privacy.