Lora
Lora was the 2916th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 58 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 169th; the most babies were born in 1963 (1,598). Over the last ten years it has moved down 45 places. More babies were named Lora in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Laura) laurel · Latin
- Rank in 2025
- #2,916 girls, down 429 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 58girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19631,598 babies
- Total since 1880
- 52,484babies recorded
What does the name Lora mean?
Lora is a spelling of Laura, pronounced the same way, so it shares Laura's meaning and origin.
Laura is generally linked with Latin laurus, "laurel", the plant of victory and poetry. Wiktionary derives it from a late Latin saint's name based on laurus. DMNES is more cautious, citing Withycombe that the etymology is obscure and probably connected with Laurence. Petrarch's 14th-century love poems to Laura made it popular in Renaissance Italy, and it has long been common in English.
laurus (Latin, “laurel, bay tree”)
How sure is this? Probable. DMNES calls the etymology obscure; the laurel link is the usual explanation.
Related names: Lauren, Laurel, Lora, Laurie.
See also: Latin names, names that mean tree.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Laura', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Laura', DMNES, Durham University
- Charlotte M. Yonge, History of Christian Names, new ed. (1884), index s.v. 'Laura' (19th-century work; used for dated usage facts only), Macmillan (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Lora popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 249 since 1882.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,916 | 58 |
| 2020 | #2,487 | 70 |
| 2010 | #3,184 | 52 |
| 2000 | #1,465 | 126 |
| 1990 | #767 | 267 |
| 1980 | #415 | 534 |
| 1970 | #256 | 1,202 |
| 1960 | #256 | 1,203 |
| 1950 | #345 | 514 |
| 1940 | #413 | 280 |
| 1930 | #381 | 322 |
| 1920 | #340 | 373 |
| 1910 | #295 | 173 |
| 1900 | #244 | 176 |
| 1890 | #213 | 130 |
| 1880 | #173 | 74 |
How popular is Lora, counting every spelling?
Lora is a spelling of Laura, a name family that ranked #385 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,916 for Lora on its own. Together these spellings went to 863 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura | 805 | #379 | 4,204 |
| Lora | 58 | #2,916 | 253 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lora?
58 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lora (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lora 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 144 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lora.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lora?
About 34,600 people born in the US named Lora are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 49 and 65. That makes Lora 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.
Lora by state
How common Lora was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 48 states fewer than five girls 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 Lora: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lora, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Lora
What does Lora mean?
Lora is a spelling of Laura, which means “laurel” (Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lora?
Lora was the 2916th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 58 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 169th; the most babies were born in 1963 (1,598). Over the last ten years it has moved down 45 places. More babies were named Lora in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Lora a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lora in the US.
Where is Lora most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lora was most common in Illinois (0.02 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Texas.