Total births
461,170
Boys' name · since 1880
Lawrence
461,170 babies named Lawrence 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.
- #508
- among boys today
- 461,170
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Lawrence is the #508 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 461,170 recorded since 1880.
Lawrence has 461,170 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #508 as of the latest data, more common than 96% 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.
- #508 among boys today
- 461,170 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lawrence is currently the #508 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 461,170 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #508
- among boys today
- 461,170
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Lawrence vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#508
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Lawrence was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
10,302 babies were named Lawrence in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
How Lawrence compares
461,170 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Lawrence's all-time total is 1,257x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lawrence | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 461,170 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 10,302 | 23 | 22,252 |
Lawrence's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Lawrence splits its recorded history at 1953: 41% of all births land in the more recent half, 59% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (244 births) -- compare that against the 1952 peak of 10,302 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Lawrence at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1952
Current rank
#508
Active since
1880
Lawrence popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 10,302
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lawrence popularity over time - girls
2,187 total births recorded since 1890 (Lawrence as girls' name)
Lawrence by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Lawrence's strongest decade.
91,110 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Lawrence births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 2,919
1880s
2,919 births
- 1890s 4,597
1890s
4,597 births
- 1900s 6,846
1900s
6,846 births
- 1910s 36,354
1910s
36,354 births
- 1920s
1920s
56,867 births
- 1930s
1930s
54,485 births
- 1940s
1940s
80,461 births
- 1950s
1950s
91,110 births
- 1960s
1960s
51,342 births
- 1970s 26,662
1970s
26,662 births
- 1980s 19,638
1980s
19,638 births
- 1990s 13,156
1990s
13,156 births
- 2000s 7,616
2000s
7,616 births
- 2010s 5,895
2010s
5,895 births
- 2020s 3,222
2020s
3,222 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 91,110 births (20% of all-time use).
How Lawrence 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 Lawrence's total volume
Lawrence vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Lawrence by state
Where Lawrence concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 53,760 | 11.7% |
| #2 | California | | 30,973 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 30,409 | 6.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 29,684 | 6.4% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 24,502 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 24,148 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Texas | | 16,636 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 15,957 | 3.5% |
New York share of Lawrence's total US births 11.7%
Even split
53,760 of 461,170 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Lawrence appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lawrence? ▼
461,170 babies have been named Lawrence since 1880. It currently ranks #508 among boys. The peak year was 1952 with 10,302 births.
When was Lawrence most popular? ▼
Lawrence was most popular in the 1950s decade with 91,110 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Lawrence most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lawrence are New York (53,760 births), California (30,973 births), Pennsylvania (30,409 births).
How long has the name Lawrence been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Lawrence since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Lawrence? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lawson, Lawerence, Lawton, Lawrance, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Lawrence's data
- Lawrence's decade-level peak was the 1950s (91,110 total births); usage has since declined to 3,222 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Lawrences (53,760 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 Lawrence
Nearby Names Like Lawrence
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lawrence
Lawson Boy
#415 18,533 births
Lawerence Boy
4,818 births
Lawton Boy
#3165 2,861 births
Lawrance Boy
2,637 births
Lawernce Boy
1,050 births
Compare Lawrence side by side: Lawrence vs Lawson Lawrence vs Lawerence Lawrence vs Lawton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lawrence
Elio #507
5,174 births · Peak 2025
Ariel #509
21,968 births · Peak 1991
Donovan #506
61,684 births · Peak 2003
Leonidas #510
10,281 births · Peak 2022
Azariah #505
6,558 births · Peak 2025
Tripp #511
8,975 births · Peak 2022
Ruben #504
116,552 births · Peak 1992
Alonzo #512
45,955 births · Peak 2022
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. "Lawrence: #508 Boys' Name - 461,170 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lawrence. 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 Lawrence 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.