The baby name Lerato is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced leh-RAH-toh.
The baby name Lerato is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced leh-RAH-toh.
Lerato is in Origin.
Lerato is a Sotho–Tswana given name from Sesotho and Setswana meaning “love, affection.” It derives from the noun-class prefix le- plus the root -rato “to love”; in Setswana the parallel form is Lorato with lo-. Common across South Africa, Lesotho, and Botswana, the name is unisex, though more often bestowed on girls.
As a virtue name, its use rose in the 20th century alongside mission schooling and later pan‑African pride, and it remains widespread at home and in the diaspora. Variants and short forms include Lorato (Tswana), Rato, Rati, and Lera; cognates in neighboring languages are Thando (Nguni) and Rudo (Shona). Lerato conveys warmth and a wish that the bearer embody love within community.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1 | 30,984 | 25,928 |
| ZA | 0 | #4 | 1,406 | 14,421 | |
| BW | 0 | #17 | 3 | 960 | |
| BW | Girls | 0 | #80 | 76 | 4,216 |
| CN | 0 | #86 | 1 | 3,857 | |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #130 | 4,805 | 25,619 |
| BW | Boys | 0 | #151 | 4 | 4,685 |
| NA | Girls | 0 | #206 | 19 | 7,146 |
| AO | Girls | 0 | #217 | 1 | 4,575 |
| NA | Boys | 0 | #252 | 2 | 6,830 |
| SA | 0 | #312 | 1 | 10,560 | |
| DK | Girls | 0 | #329 | 1 | 7,429 |
| CN | Boys | 0 | #331 | 1 | 9,639 |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #343 | 1 | 15,378 |
| SD | Girls | 0 | #358 | 1 | 7,678 |
| BD | Girls | 0 | #406 | 1 | 8,413 |
| RU | Girls | 0 | #522 | 2 | 11,913 |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #825 | 2 | 15,093 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,013 | 2 | 25,931 |
| TR | 0 | #1,253 | 2 | 19,440 |
Lerato is popular in 13 countries — most recent births per country:
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