Given name & surname
Loretta
“crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree”
In Italian use, Loretta carries the interpretation “crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Italian use, Loretta carries the interpretation “crowned with laurel; from the laurel tree.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Italian.
How it developed
In English use, Loretta is used as a variant of Lauretta. Loretta is used as a form of Laura.
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
Loretta through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 178,066
- 502 boys · 177,564 girls
- Most popular year
- 1938
- 3,931 babies
- 2025
- 485
- #606 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +57%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 485 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 606 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 57.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 3,913 in 1938. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (44). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 91,196 as a first name in 2020; 308 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.
Loretta’s family of names
In English usage, Loretta is a diminutive of Laura. In English usage, Loretta has a related form in Lori. Loretta is a form of Laura.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 13
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Laurafull form · English
- Loridiminutive · English
- Laurettavariant · English
- Larettavariant
- Lorettevariant · English
- Lorrettavariant
- Loretavariant
- Laurettevariant
Show 5 moreShow fewer
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Loretta
- Loretta YoungAmerican actress (1913–2000)
- Loretta LynnAmerican country singer (1932–2022)
- Loretta SwitAmerican actress (1937–2025)
- Loretta LynchAmerican attorney (born 1959)
- Loretta DevineAmerican actressborn 1949
- Loretta SanchezAmerican politician (born 1960)
- Lorrie MorganAmerican musicianborn 1959
- Loretta GoggiItalian actress and singerborn 1950
- Loretta Harroptriathleteborn 1975
Characters named Loretta: Loretta Brown (the animated TV series Family Guy and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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