Lori
Lori was the 1726th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 118 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 8th with 23,899 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 129 places. More babies were named Lori in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning variant of Laurie (Laura) · English, Latin
Say it LOR-ee /ˈlɔɹi/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,726 girls, down 54 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 118girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196323,899 babies
- Total since 1880
- 342,764babies recorded
What does the name Lori mean?
Lori is, according to Wiktionary, a 20th-century spelling of Laurie, from Laura, and in other cases a pet form of names such as Loretta and Lorraine; it was very popular in the US in the 1960s. Laura is usually linked to Latin laurus 'laurel', the plant whose leaves crowned victors, though DMNES notes its etymology is obscure and it may be a pet form of Laurencia. Petrarch's Laura, the subject of his love poems, spread the name in Europe.
laurus (Latin, “laurel”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Laurie, Laura, Lorie, Lorraine.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lori', 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. 'Laura', DMNES (Durham University)
Lori popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 853 since 1954.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,726 | 118 |
| 2020 | #1,672 | 123 |
| 2010 | #1,837 | 111 |
| 2000 | #865 | 255 |
| 1990 | #323 | 852 |
| 1980 | #76 | 4,085 |
| 1970 | #23 | 13,448 |
| 1960 | #20 | 18,690 |
| 1950 | #617 | 186 |
| 1940 | #1,263 | 35 |
| 1930 | #2,498 | 13 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lori, counting every spelling?
Lori is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,085 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,726 for Lori on its own. Together these spellings went to 208 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lori | 118 | #1,726 | 709 |
| Laurie | 60 | #2,842 | 253 |
| Lorie | 8 | #11,511 | 56 |
| Lorrie | 7 | #12,647 | 38 |
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 Lori?
118 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lori (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lori 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 71 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lori.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lori?
About 303,100 people born in the US named Lori are alive today, with a median age of 60; half are between 54 and 65. That makes Lori 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.
Lori by state
How common Lori was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (2.8×), Ohio (2.6×). In 30 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 Lori: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lori, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lori · Sibling names for Lori
Lori is also a nickname for Laura, Lorelai, Lorelei, Loretta and Lorraine.
Questions about the name Lori
What does Lori mean?
Lori means “variant of Laurie (Laura)” (English, Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lori?
Lori was the 1726th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 118 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 8th with 23,899 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 129 places. More babies were named Lori in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Lori a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lori in the US.
Where is Lori most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lori was most common in Pennsylvania (0.24 per 1,000 girls), followed by Ohio and Mississippi.