Lawrence — #509 US boys' name
460,585 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.
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
20% of everyone ever named Lawrence was born in this single decade.
10,302 babies were named Lawrence in 1952 — its busiest year on record.
What the Data Says About Lawrence
The Social Security Administration has registered 460,585 babies named Lawrence between 1880 and 2024, spanning 145 consecutive years of U.S. birth records. As a boy's name, Lawrence currently holds the #509 rank among boys for 2024. The name reached its historical peak in 1952, when 10,302 babies received it in a single year.
Decade-level aggregation shows that Lawrence performed strongest in the 1950s, accumulating 91,109 births during that ten-year window. Across the 15 decades of recorded activity, Lawrence shows a clear decline from its mid-century high. Geographically, the name is most concentrated in New York, which accounts for 53,721 births — the largest state-level total in the dataset — followed by California and Pennsylvania. In total, SSA state-level files list Lawrence in 51 of the 51 U.S. reporting jurisdictions.
No etymological entry is currently available for Lawrence 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 460,585 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.
Lawrence at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
Current rank
Active since
Lawrence popularity over time — boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2024–1880
- Peak year (1952)
- 10,302
- Annual births at peak — across 145 years of records
Currently ranks #509 among boys.
460,585 total births across 145 years of SSA records. Peaked in 1952 with 10,302 births in a single year.
Lawrence popularity over time — girls
2,180 total births recorded since 1890 (Lawrence as girls' name)
Unisex use remains the minority pattern
The girls' variant of Lawrence accounts for 0% of total recorded use across both genders.
Lawrence by decade
Total births in each ten-year window — peak vs trough at a glance
- Peak decade
- 1950s
- 91,109 births that decade — 20% of Lawrence's all-time total
Lawrence decade highlights
- Peak decade 91,109 births
- Runner-up 80,459 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
1950s was Lawrence's strongest decade
91,109 babies received the name during that ten-year window — about 20% of all-time use.
Lawrence by state
Where Lawrence concentrates geographically — total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 53,721 | 11.7% |
| #2 | California | | 30,914 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 30,388 | 6.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 29,673 | 6.4% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 24,476 | 5.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 24,122 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Texas | | 16,587 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 15,947 | 3.5% |
53,721 of 460,585 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- New York 11.7% of nationwide
- California 6.7% of nationwide
- Pennsylvania 6.6% of nationwide
- Illinois 6.4% of nationwide
- Michigan 5.3% of nationwide
Recorded in 51 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
New York accounts for 11.7% of all recorded births nationwide — a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Lawrence appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lawrence? ▼
When was Lawrence most popular? ▼
Where is Lawrence most popular? ▼
How long has the name Lawrence been used? ▼
What names are similar to Lawrence? ▼
Keep exploring Lawrence
Nearby Names Like Lawrence
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lawrence
Compare Lawrence side by side: Lawrence vs Lawson Lawrence vs Lawerence Lawrence vs Lawton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lawrence
Baby Name Guides
Learn more about naming trends and how to use data to choose a name
Explore more names
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.