Girls' name · since 1939
Lorel
Since 1939, U.S. Social Security records show 288 babies named Lorel, peaking in 1956. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #16,278 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 288
- born since 1939
- 1950s
- peak decade
Lorel sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 288 recorded since 1939.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lorel has been recorded 288 times among girls since 1939, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1939 to 2023.
- #16,278 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 288 born since 1939
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lorel ranks #16,278 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 288 born since 1939, peaking in the 1950s.
- #16,278 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 288
- born since 1939
- 1950s
- peak decade
Lorel's 288 recorded births place it above 77.48% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Illinois.
Lorel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lorel's full recorded timeline at 1963, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1939, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1956 peak of 15 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lorel popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1939–2023
- Peak year (1956)
- 15
- Annual births at peak, across 85 years of records
Lorel popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1938 (Lorel as boys' name)
Lorel by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (95 births, 33% of the file).
1950s was Lorel's strongest decade.
95 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Lorel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s
1940s
45 births
- 1950s
1950s
95 births
- 1960s
1960s
40 births
- 1970s 24
1970s
24 births
- 1980s 11
1980s
11 births
- 1990s 16
1990s
16 births
- 2000s 11
2000s
11 births
- 2010s 36
2010s
36 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 95 births (33% of all-time use).
Lorel by state
Where Lorel concentrates geographically, total births since 1939
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 32 | 11.1% |
32 of 288 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lorel? ▼
Where does Lorel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Lorel most popular? ▼
Where is Lorel most popular? ▼
How long has the name Lorel been used? ▼
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What to do with Lorel's data
- Lorel's decade-level peak was the 1950s (95 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Lorels (32 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lorel
Nearby Names Like Lorel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lorel
Compare Lorel side by side: Lorel vs Lori Lorel vs Lorraine Lorel vs Loretta
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Lorel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~84 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1939–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Lorel 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 August 2026.