Laurence is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Laurence means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Laurence across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Laurence has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Laurence is a boy name of Latin origin meaning “from Laurentum, laurel”. A variant spelling of Lawrence.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 40,215 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 3,391 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 369 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 15 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,625 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 Laurence per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1952 (856/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (216/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1964 (141/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (17/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2006 (5/yr).
Laurence has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1952, when it ranked #500 nationally (given to 856 babies that year).
Lawrence · Lawerence · Lawrance · Larence · Laurance · Lawerance · Lawernce · Larwence
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