Lauretha
Feminine name probably derived from the Latin "laurus" meaning laurel or bay tree.
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Lauretha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lauretha today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lauretha births was 1950 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lauretha. 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
- • The typical person named Lauretha is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Laurethas were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lauretha. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
1950
8 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1960 SSA rank
#6,049
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Lauretha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lauretha from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1940s peak, Lauretha remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lauretha 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 Lauretha 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 Lauretha
The name Lauretha is a feminine given name with origins traced back to Ancient Rome and Greece. It is derived from the Latin word "laurus," meaning laurel, and the Greek word "daphne," which refers to the laurel tree. The laurel tree held great significance in these ancient civilizations, symbolizing victory, honor, and achievement.
During the Roman Empire, laurel wreaths were bestowed upon victorious military leaders and celebrated poets as a mark of their accomplishments. The name Lauretha may have been given to girls born into families of distinguished lineage or those associated with literary or artistic pursuits.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Lauretha can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus, who lived in the 1st century AD. He documented a noble Roman woman named Lauretha Claudia, known for her patronage of the arts and her support of poets and writers.
In the 5th century, a Christian martyr named Lauretha was venerated for her unwavering faith and courage in the face of persecution. Her story was recorded in the hagiographies (writings about the lives of saints) of the time, and her name became associated with resilience and devotion.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the name Lauretha was favored among the aristocracy and intellectual circles, particularly in Italy and France. Notable individuals bearing this name include:
1. Lauretha de' Medici (1454-1531), an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts during the Italian Renaissance. She was a member of the influential Medici family and supported many artists and scholars of her time.
2. Lauretha Borghese (1592-1654), an Italian princess and art collector who amassed a significant collection of paintings and sculptures during the Baroque period.
3. Lauretha de Sévigné (1626-1696), a French aristocrat and renowned letter writer whose correspondence provides valuable insights into the social and cultural life of 17th-century France.
4. Lauretha Basilewsky (1825-1892), a Russian noblewoman and philanthropist who founded several charitable organizations and supported the arts and education in Imperial Russia.
5. Lauretha Blumenthal (1856-1935), a German-American businesswoman and philanthropist who established the Blumenthal Foundation, which supported various cultural and educational initiatives.
While the name Lauretha has become less common in modern times, it continues to carry a rich heritage and associations with achievement, creativity, and cultural patronage.
People
Lauretha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lauretha 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
Lauretha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lauretha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lauretha 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Lauretha a common name?
We classify Lauretha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 30 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lauretha most popular?
The single biggest year for Lauretha was 1950, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lauretha is about 73 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 Lauretha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lauretha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lauretha in the SSA data are female. 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 Lauretha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lauretha 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 Lauretha 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 have the name Lauretha?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.