Laurence
Laurence was given to 93 boys in 2025, #1,747 among boys’ names; 40,215 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 17,300 Americans named Laurence and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (43% of everyone recorded); the median is 65 years old and half are between 48 and 75.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Laurence by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Laurence mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Laurence is “a male given name from Latin, feminine equivalent Lauren.” Its etymology gives the senses “a person from Laurentum” (Laurentius,) and “laurel” (laurus).
From the name of a third century Roman martyr, Latin Laurentius, “a person from Laurentum”, the place name possibly derived from laurus (“laurel”).
/ˈlɔɹəns/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Laurence?
#1,747 among boys’ names, 2025
Laurence rose from #2,249 in 2015 to #1,747 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 31.3 to 54.4 per million.
856 babies in 1952, the peak
Laurence peaked in 1952, when 856 babies were given it (845 boys, #231 among boys’ names). The 98 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 11% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 93 | #1,747 | 0.05 |
| 2024 | 67 | #2,182 | 0.04 |
| 2023 | 68 | #2,139 | 0.04 |
| 2022 | 54 | #2,542 | 0.03 |
| 2021 | 62 | #2,264 | 0.04 |
| 2020 | 72 | #1,990 | 0.04 |
| 2019 | 61 | #2,277 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 61 | #2,249 | 0.03 |
| 2017 | 72 | #1,991 | 0.04 |
| 2016 | 56 | #2,355 | 0.03 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 60 | #2,249 | 0.03 |
| 2014 | 59 | #2,262 | 0.03 |
| 2013 | 45 | #2,646 | 0.02 |
| 2012 | 51 | #2,469 | 0.03 |
| 2011 | 48 | #2,571 | 0.03 |
| 2010 | 41 | #2,900 | 0.02 |
| 2009 | 56 | #2,336 | 0.03 |
| 2008 | 53 | #2,418 | 0.03 |
| 2007 | 55 | #2,357 | 0.03 |
| 2006 | 71 | #1,904 | 0.03 |
| 2005 | 61 | #2,047 | 0.03 |
| 2004 | 71 | #1,771 | 0.04 |
| 2003 | 81 | #1,572 | 0.04 |
| 2002 | 74 | #1,624 | 0.04 |
| 2001 | 68 | #1,700 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 71 | #1,645 | 0.04 |
| 1999 | 86 | #1,377 | 0.04 |
| 1998 | 97 | #1,254 | 0.05 |
| 1997 | 91 | #1,266 | 0.05 |
| 1996 | 109 | #1,102 | 0.06 |
| 1995 | 124 | #995 | 0.07 |
| 1994 | 103 | #1,110 | 0.05 |
| 1993 | 101 | #1,117 | 0.05 |
| 1992 | 124 | #968 | 0.06 |
| 1991 | 116 | #990 | 0.06 |
| 1990 | 122 | #932 | 0.06 |
| 1989 | 145 | #825 | 0.07 |
| 1988 | 106 | #931 | 0.06 |
| 1987 | 115 | #872 | 0.06 |
| 1986 | 119 | #831 | 0.06 |
| 1985 | 138 | #759 | 0.07 |
| 1984 | 153 | #707 | 0.08 |
| 1983 | 134 | #748 | 0.07 |
| 1982 | 164 | #679 | 0.09 |
| 1981 | 167 | #668 | 0.09 |
| 1980 | 161 | #683 | 0.09 |
| 1979 | 152 | #695 | 0.09 |
| 1978 | 139 | #714 | 0.08 |
| 1977 | 158 | #674 | 0.10 |
| 1976 | 174 | #622 | 0.11 |
| 1975 | 179 | #608 | 0.11 |
| 1974 | 184 | #588 | 0.12 |
| 1973 | 204 | #554 | 0.13 |
| 1972 | 214 | #543 | 0.13 |
| 1971 | 231 | #529 | 0.13 |
| 1970 | 303 | #466 | 0.16 |
| 1969 | 302 | #448 | 0.17 |
| 1968 | 321 | #429 | 0.18 |
| 1967 | 348 | #407 | 0.20 |
| 1966 | 350 | #406 | 0.20 |
| 1965 | 364 | #411 | 0.20 |
| 1964 | 456 | #364 | 0.23 |
| 1963 | 503 | #346 | 0.25 |
| 1962 | 519 | #342 | 0.25 |
| 1961 | 540 | #338 | 0.25 |
| 1960 | 513 | #344 | 0.24 |
| 1959 | 518 | #341 | 0.24 |
| 1958 | 541 | #331 | 0.25 |
| 1957 | 607 | #308 | 0.28 |
| 1956 | 651 | #288 | 0.31 |
| 1955 | 641 | #284 | 0.31 |
| 1954 | 709 | #264 | 0.35 |
| 1953 | 748 | #250 | 0.38 |
| 1952 | 845 | #231 | 0.43 |
| 1951 | 822 | #229 | 0.44 |
| 1950 | 807 | #227 | 0.45 |
| 1949 | 802 | #226 | 0.45 |
| 1948 | 768 | #233 | 0.44 |
| 1947 | 778 | #232 | 0.43 |
| 1946 | 708 | #224 | 0.44 |
| 1945 | 591 | #227 | 0.44 |
| 1944 | 581 | #233 | 0.43 |
| 1943 | 648 | #225 | 0.45 |
| 1942 | 666 | #219 | 0.48 |
| 1941 | 524 | #244 | 0.43 |
| 1940 | 604 | #211 | 0.52 |
| 1939 | 549 | #220 | 0.50 |
| 1938 | 478 | #246 | 0.43 |
| 1937 | 448 | #254 | 0.42 |
| 1936 | 432 | #258 | 0.42 |
| 1935 | 427 | #261 | 0.41 |
| 1934 | 489 | #236 | 0.47 |
| 1933 | 426 | #255 | 0.43 |
| 1932 | 479 | #244 | 0.46 |
| 1931 | 518 | #228 | 0.50 |
| 1930 | 562 | #226 | 0.51 |
| 1929 | 586 | #217 | 0.54 |
| 1928 | 573 | #229 | 0.52 |
| 1927 | 583 | #228 | 0.52 |
| 1926 | 610 | #221 | 0.55 |
| 1925 | 551 | #239 | 0.49 |
| 1924 | 575 | #238 | 0.51 |
| 1923 | 543 | #241 | 0.50 |
| 1922 | 580 | #230 | 0.53 |
| 1921 | 599 | #223 | 0.54 |
| 1920 | 550 | #228 | 0.52 |
| 1919 | 531 | #227 | 0.54 |
| 1918 | 557 | #222 | 0.55 |
| 1917 | 495 | #222 | 0.53 |
| 1916 | 470 | #227 | 0.53 |
| 1915 | 462 | #222 | 0.54 |
| 1914 | 379 | #214 | 0.58 |
| 1913 | 314 | #209 | 0.61 |
| 1912 | 271 | #204 | 0.63 |
| 1911 | 121 | #233 | 0.54 |
| 1910 | 114 | #219 | 0.59 |
| 1909 | 89 | #234 | 0.54 |
| 1908 | 91 | #217 | 0.59 |
| 1907 | 78 | #230 | 0.53 |
| 1906 | 81 | #218 | 0.61 |
| 1905 | 77 | #218 | 0.58 |
| 1904 | 73 | #217 | 0.57 |
| 1903 | 77 | #202 | 0.65 |
| 1902 | 71 | #212 | 0.58 |
| 1901 | 60 | #224 | 0.56 |
| 1900 | 81 | #220 | 0.54 |
| 1899 | 63 | #209 | 0.59 |
| 1898 | 74 | #201 | 0.60 |
| 1897 | 69 | #206 | 0.61 |
| 1896 | 59 | #236 | 0.49 |
| 1895 | 58 | #232 | 0.49 |
| 1894 | 46 | #258 | 0.40 |
| 1893 | 53 | #237 | 0.47 |
| 1892 | 45 | #268 | 0.37 |
| 1891 | 39 | #258 | 0.39 |
| 1890 | 42 | #268 | 0.38 |
| 1889 | 32 | #308 | 0.29 |
| 1888 | 38 | #287 | 0.31 |
| 1887 | 28 | #315 | 0.28 |
| 1886 | 43 | #261 | 0.39 |
| 1885 | 33 | #293 | 0.31 |
| 1884 | 24 | #366 | 0.21 |
| 1883 | 28 | #315 | 0.27 |
| 1882 | 24 | #368 | 0.21 |
| 1881 | 28 | #310 | 0.28 |
| 1880 | 25 | #347 | 0.23 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Laurence a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 40,215 Americans recorded as Laurence, 1% are girls and 99% boys. In 2025 it went to 5 girls and 93 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Laurence: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Laurence, and how old are they?
17,300 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 43% of the 40,215 Americans ever recorded as Laurence. The median Laurence alive today is 65 years old; half are between 48 and 75.
The 2020 Census counted 22,752 people named Laurence (1,165 women and girls, 21,587 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 19,841 born in the U.S. The Census count is 15% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 1,950 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 8,080 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 3,340 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 1,970 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,080 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 857 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Laurence born?
The states with the most babies named Laurence are New York, California and Illinois, with 36% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 5,578 | #1,929 | 1.6× |
| California | 3,698 | #1,762 | 1.4× |
| Illinois | 2,431 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Massachusetts | 2,342 | not ranked | 1.9× |
| Michigan | 2,000 | not ranked | 1.3× |
| Pennsylvania | 1,804 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Ohio | 1,418 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| New Jersey | 1,363 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Texas | 958 | #2,013 | 0.4× |
| Minnesota | 882 | not ranked | 1.1× |
Where Laurence is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Laurence is most over-represented in Maine: since 1910 it was given 2.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Laurence with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 6 names spelled alike, given to 507,108 babies since 1880, Laurence is the second most given (7.9% of them). In 2025 it was given to 98 of their 683 babies (14%), again the second most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Laurence
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Laurence and names like it
- Compare Laurence and LawrenceBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sLaurence peaked in 1952.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Laurence since 1910.
- Latin namesWiktionary’s origin for Laurence: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1952The year the most babies were named Laurence.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Laurence alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with LMost given first.