Larry
Larry was the 1085th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 198 babies. Its best year was 1947, when it ranked 10th with 34,946 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 527 places. More babies were named Larry in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Lawrence · English, Latin
Say it LAIR-ee /ˈlɛɹi/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,085 boys, down 247 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 198boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194734,946 babies
- Total since 1880
- 811,148babies recorded
What does the name Larry mean?
Larry is a pet form of Laurence or Lawrence, as Wiktionary notes, and was a very common American boys' name in the 1940s and 1950s. Lawrence comes from Latin Laurentius, 'man from Laurentum', a town near Rome whose name is usually linked to laurus 'laurel'. Saint Lawrence, a 3rd-century deacon of Rome martyred on a gridiron, made the name widespread in medieval Europe.
Laurentius (Latin, “man from Laurentum”)laurus (Latin, “laurel (probable source of the town name)”)
How sure is this? Well established. The link between Laurentum and laurus is traditional, not certain.
Related names: Lawrence, Laurence, Lars, Lorenzo.
See also: Latin names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Larry', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Laurence', DMNES (Durham University)
Larry popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,560 since 1914.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,085 | 198 |
| 2020 | #838 | 273 |
| 2010 | #364 | 813 |
| 2000 | #280 | 1,118 |
| 1990 | #144 | 2,194 |
| 1980 | #70 | 4,262 |
| 1970 | #43 | 8,104 |
| 1960 | #28 | 15,988 |
| 1950 | #11 | 31,480 |
| 1940 | #13 | 17,199 |
| 1930 | #108 | 1,719 |
| 1920 | #261 | 440 |
| 1910 | #218 | 114 |
| 1900 | #261 | 62 |
| 1890 | #366 | 24 |
| 1880 | #513 | 13 |
How popular is Larry, counting every spelling?
Larry has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,032 for boys in 2025, against #1,085 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Larry?
198 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Larry (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Larry born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 42 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Larry.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Larry?
About 483,500 people born in the US named Larry are alive today, with a median age of 69; half are between 58 and 77. That makes Larry a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Larry by state
How common Larry was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (2.2×), Missouri (1.7×), Georgia (1.6×), Tennessee (1.6×), Ohio (1.6×). In 21 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Larry: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Larry, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Larry · Sibling names for Larry
Larry is also a nickname for Lawrence.
Questions about the name Larry
What does Larry mean?
Larry means “pet form of Lawrence” (English, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Larry?
Larry was the 1085th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 198 babies. Its best year was 1947, when it ranked 10th with 34,946 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 527 places. More babies were named Larry in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Larry a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Larry in the US.
Where is Larry most popular?
In 2021–2025, Larry was most common in Louisiana (0.29 per 1,000 boys), followed by Missouri and Georgia.