Total births
28,535
Girls' name · since 1885
Lorna
Lorna has 28,535 recorded births since 1885 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1957 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3179
- among girls today
- 28,535
- born since 1885
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lorna is the #3179 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 28,535 recorded since 1885.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lorna has been recorded 28,535 times among girls since 1885, currently ranked #3179 nationally and more common than 82% of girls, 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 1885 to 2025.
- #3179 among girls today
- 28,535 born since 1885
- 1950s peak decade
- 82% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lorna is currently the #3179 girls' name in America, more common than 82% of girls - 28,535 born since 1885, peaking in the 1950s.
- #3179
- among girls today
- 28,535
- born since 1885
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other girls
Lorna vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3179
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 82% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Lorna was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
758 babies were named Lorna in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Lorna compares
28,535 Top 5% higher than 95% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Lorna's all-time total is 75x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lorna | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 28,535 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 758 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lorna's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lorna's full recorded timeline at 1957, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1889, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1957 peak of 758 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lorna at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1957
Current rank
#3,179
Active since
1885
Lorna popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 758
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Lorna popularity over time - boys
22 total births recorded since 1942 (Lorna as boys' name)
Lorna by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Lorna's strongest decade.
6,649 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Lorna births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 17
1880s
17 births
- 1890s 163
1890s
163 births
- 1900s 353
1900s
353 births
- 1910s 1,557
1910s
1,557 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,021 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,367 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,428 births
- 1950s
1950s
6,649 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,652 births
- 1970s 1,396
1970s
1,396 births
- 1980s 919
1980s
919 births
- 1990s 747
1990s
747 births
- 2000s 631
2000s
631 births
- 2010s 358
2010s
358 births
- 2020s 277
2020s
277 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 6,649 births (23% of all-time use).
How Lorna compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Lorna's total volume
Lorna vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lorna by state
Where Lorna concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,019 | 10.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 1,796 | 6.3% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 1,507 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,272 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 1,180 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 1,081 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,046 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 972 | 3.4% |
California share of Lorna's total US births 10.6%
Even split
3,019 of 28,535 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Lorna appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lorna? ▼
Lorna has been given to 28,535 babies in the U.S. since 1885, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #3179 as of the latest data. 758 babies were born in 1957, its single highest year.
When was Lorna most popular? ▼
Lorna was most popular in the 1950s decade with 6,649 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Lorna most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lorna are California (3,019 births), New York (1,796 births), Michigan (1,507 births).
How long has the name Lorna been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Lorna since 1885 -- 141 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Lorna? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lori, Lorraine, Loretta, Lora, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lorna's data
- Lorna's decade-level peak was the 1950s (6,649 total births); usage has since declined to 277 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Lornas (3,019 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Lorna
Nearby Names Like Lorna
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lorna
Lori Girl
#1524 341,911 births
Lorraine Girl
#1420 209,910 births
Loretta Girl
#677 177,564 births
Lora Girl
#3516 52,235 births
Lorena Girl
#1275 44,960 births
Compare Lorna side by side: Lorna vs Lori Lorna vs Lorraine Lorna vs Loretta
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lorna
Emaline #3178
1,901 births · Peak 2016
Melrose #3180
1,180 births · Peak 2024
Muriel #3177
54,884 births · Peak 1922
Eleonor #3181
790 births · Peak 2025
Dolores #3176
211,440 births · Peak 1930
Rachelle #3182
33,933 births · Peak 1971
Aizal #3175
176 births · Peak 2023
Jesslyn #3183
2,631 births · Peak 2017
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, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lorna: #3179 Girls' Name - 28,535 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lorna. 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 Lorna 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.