Laurence

Did you know?

A few things about Laurence you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Laurence

Laurence Harvey

Lithuanian-born British actor (1928-1973)

Choose Laurence and your child shares a first name with Laurence Harvey, a Lithuanian-born British actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Laurence, like who?” Laurence Harvey's Wikipedia article is available in 36 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Laurence Harvey on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Cjiv, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 18,382 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Laurence, 93 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Laurence would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryLaurence has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Laurences, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1903, when it ranked #201. Today it's #1,743, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendLaurence has climbed 234 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,743. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedLaurence is most popular in Washington, where it ranks #999. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.
• 💬MeaningIn Latin, Laurence means “from Laurentum”.

About the name Laurence

Laurence is a boy name of Latin origin meaning “from Laurentum”. It has 8 letters and 2 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-nce”. US birth records list Laurence for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1903, when it ranked #201 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,743, with 93 babies.

Origin:Latin names