Given name & surname · also English
Laurel
Laurel is a feminine given name from English. It is used in English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Cebuano.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with English and Old French naming traditions.
How it developed
Laurel is an affectionate form of Laura.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1883. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Laurel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 48,973
- 1,860 boys · 47,113 girls
- Most popular year
- 1956
- 1,197 babies
- 2025
- 372
- #734 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 0% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 372 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 734 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,181 in 1956. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (36). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 40,185 as a first name in 2020; 1,890 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.
Laurel’s family of names
Laurel is an affectionate form of Laura. Laurel has a related form in Laurelle. Laurel has a related form in Laura.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Laurel
- Laurel ClarkNASA astronaut, medical doctor, United States Navy Captain, and Space Shuttle mission specialist (1961-2003)
- Laurel AitkenCuban singer (1927–2005)
- Laurel HollomanAmerican painter and actressborn 1971
- Laurel HubbardWeightlifter from New Zealandborn 1978
- Chelsea GreenCanadian professional wrestlerborn 1991
- Laurel GoodwinAmerican actress1942–2022
- Laurel Thatcher UlrichAmerican historianborn 1938
- Laurel HaloAmerican musician, record producer & DJborn 1985
- Laurel HesterAmerican activist and police officer (1956-2006)
Characters named Laurel: Silk Spectre (Watchmen character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
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