Total births
209,910
Girls' name · since 1882
Lorraine
209,910 babies named Lorraine in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 1928. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1420
- among girls today
- 209,910
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
209,910 babies have been named Lorraine since 1882, making it today's #1420 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Lorraine recorded 209,910 times among girls since 1882, holding rank #1420 nationally today, ahead of 92% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #1420 among girls today
- 209,910 born since 1882
- 1920s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lorraine is currently the #1420 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 209,910 born since 1882, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1420
- among girls today
- 209,910
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Lorraine vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1420
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Lorraine was born in this single decade.
1928
Single peak year
5,982 babies were named Lorraine in 1928 - its busiest year on record.
How Lorraine compares
209,910 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Lorraine's all-time total is 550x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lorraine | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 209,910 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,982 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lorraine's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lorraine's SSA record in two at 1954 and the more recent half accounts for 28% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 72%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1885, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1928 peak of 5,982, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lorraine at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1928
Current rank
#1,420
Active since
1882
Lorraine popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1928)
- 5,982
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Lorraine popularity over time - boys
935 total births recorded since 1901 (Lorraine as boys' name)
Lorraine by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Lorraine's strongest decade.
49,939 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Lorraine births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 73
1880s
73 births
- 1890s 440
1890s
440 births
- 1900s 1,595
1900s
1,595 births
- 1910s 15,729
1910s
15,729 births
- 1920s
1920s
49,939 births
- 1930s
1930s
36,333 births
- 1940s
1940s
33,047 births
- 1950s
1950s
33,593 births
- 1960s
1960s
22,251 births
- 1970s 7,002
1970s
7,002 births
- 1980s 4,109
1980s
4,109 births
- 1990s 2,270
1990s
2,270 births
- 2000s 1,253
2000s
1,253 births
- 2010s 1,215
2010s
1,215 births
- 2020s 1,061
2020s
1,061 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 49,939 births (24% of all-time use).
How Lorraine 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 Lorraine's total volume
Lorraine vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lorraine by state
Where Lorraine concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 33,625 | 16.0% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 17,233 | 8.2% |
| #3 | California | | 16,713 | 8.0% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 16,417 | 7.8% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 12,776 | 6.1% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 11,358 | 5.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 9,400 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 9,183 | 4.4% |
New York share of Lorraine's total US births 16.0%
Even split
33,625 of 209,910 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Lorraine appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lorraine? ▼
209,910 babies have been named Lorraine since 1882. It currently ranks #1420 among girls. The peak year was 1928 with 5,982 births.
When was Lorraine most popular? ▼
Lorraine was most popular in the 1920s decade with 49,939 total births. The single peak year was 1928.
Where is Lorraine most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lorraine are New York (33,625 births), Illinois (17,233 births), California (16,713 births).
How long has the name Lorraine been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Lorraine since 1882 -- 144 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Lorraine? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lori, Loretta, Lora, Lorena, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lorraine's data
- Lorraine's decade-level peak was the 1920s (49,939 total births); usage has since declined to 1,061 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Lorraines (33,625 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 Lorraine
Nearby Names Like Lorraine
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lorraine
Lori Girl
#1524 341,911 births
Loretta Girl
#677 177,564 births
Lora Girl
#3516 52,235 births
Lorena Girl
#1275 44,960 births
Lorene Girl
#5444 39,379 births
Compare Lorraine side by side: Lorraine vs Lori Lorraine vs Loretta Lorraine vs Lora
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lorraine
Amiya #1419
8,672 births · Peak 2009
Baila #1421
3,416 births · Peak 2024
Anneliese #1418
5,943 births · Peak 2005
Areli #1422
6,624 births · Peak 2008
Pia #1417
3,984 births · Peak 2024
Zaya #1423
2,532 births · Peak 2023
Macey #1416
11,536 births · Peak 2001
Emberlee #1424
1,878 births · Peak 2020
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lorraine: #1420 Girls' Name - 209,910 Births, Peak 1928." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lorraine. 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 Lorraine 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.