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Laurence as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Laurence

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The baby name Laurence is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈlɔːrəns/ (LAWR-əns).

Laurence is English, Latin in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English, Latin
Pronunciation: /ˈlɔːrəns/ (LAWR-əns)

What is the meaning of the name Laurence ?

The baby name Laurence is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈlɔːrəns/ (LAWR-əns).

Laurence is English, Latin in Origin.

Laurence derives from Latin Laurentius, meaning “man from Laurentum” with folk association to laurus “laurel,” signifying victory and honor. In English, Laurence is a traditional masculine form; in French, Laurence is the standard feminine counterpart to Laurent.

The name spread across medieval Europe through the cult of 3rd‑century Saint Lawrence, remaining common in England and France, with English usage alternating between Laurence and the later Lawrence spelling. It saw revival in the 19th century and held steady through the mid‑20th, particularly in Britain, while in France Laurence enjoyed a strong run for girls from the 1950s–1980s. International variants include Laurent (Fr), Lorenzo (It/Sp), Lorenz (Ger), Lars (Scand), Laurens (Dutch), Wawrzyniec (Pol), and Lavrentiy (Rus). Diminutives and related forms include Larry, Laurie, and Lauren; feminine relatives include Laura, Laurentia, and Lorenza.

Laurence has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Laurence

Laurence Olivier Politician · Born 1907 · United Kingdom Laurence Olivier was one of the most famous British actors and directors of the 20th century, celebrated especially for his stage work and Shakespearean roles. He starred in films like Hamlet, Rebecca, and Wuthering Heights, and was a leading figure in British theatre alongside John Gielgud, Michael Redgrave, and Ralph Richardson.

Celebrity babies named Laurence

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Laurence Lemaire Juliette Gréco singer ★★★★★ Philippe Lemaire television actor ★★★★★

Laurence – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2024 #1 — 820
BI 0 #12 1 425
HT 0 #12 1 399
BW 0 #19 1 960
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
BI Girls 0 #29 5 726
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
NA 0 #33 1 2,537
MT 0 #41 3 1,767
LU 0 #49 18 2,830
CM 0 #50 7 2,592
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU Girls 0 #66 143 4,850
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
CN 0 #85 2 3,857
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
TW 0 #101 3 4,523
PH 0 #102 9 5,607
QA 0 #102 5 7,011
BN Girls 0 #113 2 5,459
KW 0 #120 2 5,216
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
ID Boys 0 #132 4 4,130
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
BN Boys 0 #135 5 6,332
MU 0 #135 3 3,613
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
BW Boys 0 #152 3 4,685
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
MT Boys 0 #157 20 4,064
CR 0 #164 2 5,526
AE 0 #167 11 10,220
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
Sweden Boys 2021 #181 3 1,578
Canada Girls 2024 #188 99 2,795
Belgium Girls 2004 #195 21 405
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
CM Girls 0 #209 472 11,671
NA Boys 0 #212 24 6,830
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
MO Boys 0 #213 11 5,842
AO Girls 0 #214 4 4,575
TW Boys 0 #216 26 7,111
PS 0 #218 9 5,692
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
GR Girls 0 #246 4 6,293
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
SG 0 #253 17 11,010
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
PH Boys 0 #261 125 11,440
IL 0 #262 13 6,291
MO Girls 0 #262 2 7,056
JM Boys 0 #263 10 6,876
NG 0 #271 2 5,926
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
SA 0 #278 18 10,560
TW Girls 0 #287 3 8,139
France Boys 1970 #296 3 1,177
CN Boys 0 #296 24 9,639
JP Boys 0 #297 7 7,909
QA Girls 0 #297 20 15,378
Canada Boys 2024 #298 9 2,588
CZ Boys 0 #303 3 6,530
HK 0 #322 27 8,483
MU Girls 0 #323 29 8,539
DK Girls 0 #326 4 7,429
DK Boys 0 #329 4 7,401
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
MY 0 #348 7 12,352
GH Boys 0 #355 7 8,138
CN Girls 0 #356 4 8,829
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
OM Girls 0 #369 28 15,987
PH Girls 0 #380 11 13,098
NL 0 #381 11 2,481
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
JO Boys 0 #385 5 7,057
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
HK Boys 0 #399 132 12,905
France Girls 2021 #401 5 3,185
ZA 0 #406 42 14,421
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
UY Boys 0 #412 2 5,922
Germany 0 #428 10 2,542
Austria Boys 0 #433 10 2,180
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
Spain 0 #439 14 2,326
PT Girls 0 #442 10 7,952
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
CR Boys 0 #476 12 10,188
AR Boys 0 #481 3 7,628
PS Girls 0 #481 43 10,981
KW Girls 0 #491 25 19,177
CM Boys 0 #494 57 12,054
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PA Boys 0 #499 7 9,305
CO 0 #507 4 7,768
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
RU Boys 0 #524 3 12,621
AE Girls 0 #535 19 20,968
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
BH 0 #539 15 17,937
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
IL Girls 0 #542 76 11,648
PS Boys 0 #554 8 10,655
LY 0 #556 4 12,703
IR Boys 0 #563 3 10,162
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
SG Girls 0 #575 12 18,916
LB 0 #592 67 13,263
IL Boys 0 #593 15 10,983
HK Girls 0 #599 17 16,104
SG Boys 0 #604 94 17,960
BO Boys 0 #619 4 9,244
AR Girls 0 #629 2 8,289
BO Girls 0 #646 6 9,488
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
Finland Boys 2026 #677 6 3,552
IT 0 #680 35 4,183
QA Boys 0 #681 27 18,093
CL Boys 0 #692 9 13,390
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
SY 0 #718 11 11,684
KW Boys 0 #743 27 18,755
NG Girls 0 #776 11 15,093
BR Boys 0 #778 8 12,213
ZA Boys 0 #788 426 25,619
TN 0 #796 34 13,765
NL Boys 0 #797 155 5,873
Germany Girls 0 #801 38 4,949
United States Boys 2024 #827 66 7,044
NL Girls 0 #863 93 5,933
OM Boys 0 #865 17 17,948
Spain Girls 0 #898 86 5,561
United States Girls 2022 #899 5 8,739
NG Boys 0 #900 52 16,906
CO Boys 0 #902 19 15,656
Spain Boys 0 #909 22 5,610
CL Girls 0 #910 6 14,098
Germany Boys 0 #911 42 5,697
SA Girls 0 #920 16 25,931
PE Boys 0 #921 6 14,506
EG Girls 0 #950 10 14,742
MX Boys 0 #965 18 16,355
MY Boys 0 #982 130 25,439
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
PE Girls 0 #1,007 4 14,861
AE Boys 0 #1,024 69 22,615
IN Boys 0 #1,036 4 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,069 4 24,821
MA 0 #1,071 58 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,123 19 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,150 3 16,140
MX Girls 0 #1,172 12 17,781
TR 0 #1,202 10 19,440
DZ 0 #1,226 9 20,130
IT Girls 0 #1,261 186 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,387 85 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,458 157 28,008

Laurence is popular in 79 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
United States

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People also ask about Laurence

Laurence is predominantly a boy's name.
Laurence is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈlɔːrəns/ (LAWR-əns).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Lawrence, Laurent, Laurens, Lorenz, Laurenz and Lorence.
Across languages, Laurence has these equivalents: Laurentius (Latin), Laurent (French), Lorenzo (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese), Lorenz (German), Lars (Scandinavian), and 3 more.
Yes, very popular — Laurence ranked #1 in Ireland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Laurence ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2024).
Laurence's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2014 to #1 in 2024 in Ireland.
Yes — 1 notable people named Laurence are in our database, including Laurence Olivier (Politician).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Laurence for their child, including Juliette Gréco and Philippe Lemaire.