Given name & surname · also Latin
Lorraine
“territory of the people of Lothar”·“from the kingdom of Lothair”
Lorraine is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “territory of the people of Lothar” (Latin) and “from the kingdom of Lothair” (French). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “territory of the people of Lothar” (Latin) and “from the kingdom of Lothair” (French). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
From Middle English Loreyne, from Old French Loherraine.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lorraine through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 210,845
- 935 boys · 209,910 girls
- Most popular year
- 1928
- 6,005 babies
- 2025
- 238
- #1,044 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +23%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 238 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,044 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 23.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 5,982 in 1928. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (30). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 107,539 as a first name in 2020; 920 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.
Lorraine’s family of names
In English usage, Lorraine has a diminutive in Lori. In Danish usage, Lorraine has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Lorena. In English usage, Lorraine has a related form in Lori.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 23
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
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 Lorraine
- Lorraine BraccoAmerican actressborn 1954
- Lorraine HansberryAfrican-American playwright and author (1930-1965)
- Lorraine ToussaintTrinidadian actressborn 1960
- Lorraine GaryAmerican actressborn 1937
- Lorraine CrappAustralian swimmer, Olympic gold medallist, former world record-holderborn 1938
- Lorraine FentonJamaican athletics competitor (born 1973)
- Lorraine DownesNew Zealand beauty pageant contestantborn 1964
- Lorraine MollerNew Zealand distance runnerborn 1955
- Lorraine NicholsonAmerican actressborn 1990
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lorraine, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Josefina
Josefina is a feminine given name. It is used in Spanish, Swedish, Catalan, and Faroese.
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Inez
“one who is pure; chaste”
1% boys · 99% girls