Loretta is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Loretta means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Loretta across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Loretta has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Loretta is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “of uncertain meaning, an elaboration of Laura”. also linked to the shrine of Loreto.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 178,066 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 448 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 18 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 339 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 Loretta per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1938 (3,931/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2022 (40/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1978 (20/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1978 (5/yr).
Loretta has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1938, when it ranked #113 nationally (given to 3,931 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1930s.
Lauretta · Laurette · Larita · Lorita · Loreta · Lorretta · Loretto · Lorette
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