Laura is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Laura means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Laura across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Laura has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Laura is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “laurel”. associated with victory and honour.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 804,390 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 23,332 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 21,270 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,343 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 19,105 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 4,669 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Laura per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1964 (19,008/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (3,582/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1985 (1,266/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1986 (783/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (163/yr).
Laura has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1964, when it ranked #37 nationally (given to 19,045 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1960s.
Larry · Laurie · Lora · Lara · Lauri · Lura · Leora · Lyra
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