Larnie
A masculine name derived from the English surname Larner or Larn.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Larnie. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Larnie today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Larnie births was 1921 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Larnie. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Larnie with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Larnie is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Larnies were born before 1951.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Larnie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1921
9 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1946 SSA rank
#3,050
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Larnie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Larnie from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 38 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Larnie remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Larnie 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 Larnie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Larnie
The name Larnie has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, primarily derived from the Proto-Germanic root "laran," which means "to teach" or "to instruct." It is believed to have emerged during the early medieval period, around the 5th to 8th centuries AD, when the Germanic tribes inhabited various regions of central and western Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Larnie can be found in the Codex Sangallensis, a 9th-century manuscript from the Abbey of St. Gallen in modern-day Switzerland. This document contains a list of names, including Larnie, suggesting its use among the Alamannic population of the region during that time.
In the 12th century, the name Larnie appeared in the Nibelungenlied, a renowned German heroic epic poem. The poem mentions a character named Larnie, who was a warrior in the service of the legendary King Gunther. This reference provides evidence of the name's widespread use among the Germanic peoples during the High Middle Ages.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Larnie. One such figure was Larnie of Lübeck (c. 1190 - 1259), a renowned German merchant and explorer who traveled extensively throughout the Baltic region and established trade routes between Lübeck and various Scandinavian and Slavic settlements.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Larnie the Scribe (c. 1320 - 1385), a renowned calligrapher and illuminator from the city of Cologne. His exquisite works, including intricate manuscript illustrations and ornate calligraphic designs, can be found in various ecclesiastical libraries and museums across Europe.
In the 16th century, Larnie Hoffmann (1501 - 1573) was a German humanist scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and contributed to the translation of the Bible into German.
During the 17th century, Larnie von Bülow (1610 - 1668) was a notable German military commander who served under the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Years' War. He was renowned for his strategic acumen and bravery on the battlefield.
In the realm of literature, Larnie Schiller (1759 - 1805) was a celebrated German poet, playwright, and philosopher. His works, such as "The Robbers" and "Don Carlos," had a profound impact on the development of German literature and influenced countless writers and intellectuals of his time.
People
Larnie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Larnie 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
Larnie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Larnie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Larnie 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Larnie a common name?
We classify Larnie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 77 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Larnie most popular?
The single biggest year for Larnie was 1921, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Larnie is about 85 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 Larnie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Larnie a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Larnie 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 Larnie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Larnie 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 Larnie 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 many people are called Larnie?
You can see how many Americans are named Larnie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.