Given name & surname · also Late Latin
Laura
“laurel”·“crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree”
Laura is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “laurel” (Late Latin) and “crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “laurel” (Late Latin) and “crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Late Latin.
How it developed
Laura is a feminine form of Laurus.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Laura through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 804,390
- 2,579 boys · 801,811 girls
- Most popular year
- 1964
- 19,008 babies
- 2025
- 805
- #379 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −10%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 805 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 379 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 10.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 18,967 in 1964. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (99). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 679,856 as a first name in 2020; 1,648 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Laura’s family of names
Laura has an affectionate form in Laurie. Laura shares a linguistic root with Lora. In English usage, Laura has a related form in Lori.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Laura has relatives in 18 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
35 related names in 18 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 58
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Lorettadiminutive · English
- Laurelvariant
- Auradiminutive · Romanian
- Lorivariant · English
- Laurencevariant
- Laurieclipped form · English
- Loravariant · English
- Laurettadiminutive · English
Show 50 moreShow fewer
- Loriediminutive · English
- Lauridiminutive · English
- Lauraleevariant
- Laurellevariant
- Laurainevariant
- Lolliediminutive · English
- Lollydiminutive · English
- Lorevariant · French
- Lariavariant
- Louravariant
- Lawrenciavariant
- Laurenciavariant · Spanish
- Lauralynvariant
- Laurielvariant
- Laurellvariant
- Lauralvariant
- Lawravariant
- Lavravariant · Slovene
- Laurneavariant
- Lauritavariant
- Laurinevariant
- Laurindavariant
- Laurinavariant
- Lauricevariant
- Lauriannevariant
- Laurianevariant
- Laurettevariant · French
- Laurethavariant
- Laurentinevariant
- Laurellavariant
- Laurevariant · French, Basque
- Lauranavariant
- Larivariant
- Lareavariant
- Laralynvariant
- Laurralikely variant
- Lozzadiminutive · English
- Loldiminutive · English
- Lawenavariant
- Larundavariant
- Lonynvariant
- Lauicavariant
- Lauenevariant
- Laurallevariant
- Lauriciavariant
- Laurestinevariant
- Laurentiavariant
- Larancavariant
- Laùrkadiminutive · csb
- Laurinkadiminutive · Czech
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 23
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Laura
- Reese WitherspoonAmerican actress (born 1976)
- Jane AddamsAmerican feminist social activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, philosopher, and writer (1860–1935)
- Laura BushFirst Lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009born 1946
- Laura PausiniItalian singerborn 1974
- Laura Chinchilla46th President of Costa Ricaborn 1959
- Laura DernAmerican actress and producer (born 1967)
- Laura PreponAmerican actress and directorborn 1980
- Laura Ingalls WilderAmerican children's writer, diarist, and journalist (1867-1957)
- Laura LinneyAmerican actressborn 1964
Characters named Laura: Laura Palmer (Twin Peaks), Laura Roslin (fictional human of Battlestar Galactica (BSG)).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
- Names made famous by books, film and popular culture
- Went by Middle Names
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- Presidential Names
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- Popular Names in Denmark
- Popular Names in Catalonia
- Popular Names in Hungary
- Popular Names in Belgium
- Popular Names in Spain
- Popular Names in Germany
- Popular Names in Austria
Similar names
If you love Laura, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Maura
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