Larnelle
A French feminine name related to the French word "l'arnelle" meaning "the little soul".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Larnelle. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Larnelle today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Larnelle births was 1984 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Larnelle. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Larnelle. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1984
5 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
1984 SSA rank
#6,913
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Larnelle: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Larnelle by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Larnelle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Larnelle
The name Larnelle has its origins in the French language, with roots dating back to the 18th century. It is believed to be a combination of the French words "l'arnelle" meaning "the little lamb" and "nelle" which is a diminutive form of the name Nelle or Nellie.
This name was particularly popular among the French aristocracy during the 18th century, with several notable figures bearing the name. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Larnelle de Montmorency, a French noblewoman who lived from 1725 to 1798.
Another historical figure with this name was Larnelle de Valois, a member of the French royal family who lived from 1740 to 1815. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of the French Revolution in its early stages.
In religious texts, there is a reference to a Saint Larnelle, who was a 9th-century French nun and abbess. She is said to have founded a convent in the region of Burgundy and is revered for her piety and charitable works.
Moving into the 19th century, one notable bearer of the name Larnelle was Larnelle Dumas, a French writer and philosopher who lived from 1824 to 1895. Her works explored themes of existentialism and the human condition.
Finally, in the 20th century, Larnelle Harris, an American gospel singer, was born in 1947. He has won numerous Grammy Awards and Dove Awards for his contributions to contemporary Christian music.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Larnelle, showcasing its French origins and its use across different eras and cultural contexts.
People
Larnelle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Larnelle as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Larnelle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Larnelle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Larnelle going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Larnelle a common name?
We classify Larnelle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Larnelle most popular?
The single biggest year for Larnelle was 1984, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Larnelle is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Larnelle in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Larnelle a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Larnelle in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Larnelle still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Larnelle in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Larnelle can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Larnelle?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Larnelle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.