Laver
A French name derived from the word "laver" meaning "to wash" or "to bathe".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Laver. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Laver today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Laver births was 1977 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Laver. 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 Laver. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1977
6 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1977 SSA rank
#5,543
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Laver: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Laver 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 Laver during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Laver
The given name Laver has its origins in the Latin language, derived from the word "lavare," which means "to wash" or "to bathe." This connection suggests that the name may have been initially associated with professions or occupations related to bathing or cleansing.
Historically, the name Laver can be traced back to ancient Rome, where it was used as a personal name during the Roman Empire. It is believed to have been particularly prevalent among families involved in the operation of public baths or those associated with the production and trade of soaps and cleansing products.
In the early centuries of Christianity, the name Laver gained some religious significance due to its association with purification and cleanliness. It is mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Exodus, where the "laver" refers to a large basin used for ritual washings by priests in the tabernacle and later in the temple.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Laver was Laver of Seville, a Spanish monk and scholar who lived in the 6th century AD. He is known for his writings on monastic life and his contributions to the development of early Christian theology.
In the Middle Ages, the name Laver appeared sporadically across Europe, particularly in regions with strong Roman Catholic or Latin cultural influences. One notable bearer of the name was Laver de Béziers, a French troubadour and poet who lived in the 12th century.
During the Renaissance period, the name experienced a resurgence in popularity, especially in Italy. Laver Paffetti (1457-1527) was an Italian painter and architect who worked in Florence during the High Renaissance.
In more recent history, Laver Kirillovich (1888-1937) was a Russian-Soviet military leader and communist revolutionary who played a significant role in the Russian Civil War and the early years of the Soviet Union.
Another prominent figure with the name Laver was the Australian tennis player Rod Laver (born 1938), widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He won 11 Grand Slam singles titles and was the only player to achieve the calendar Grand Slam twice, in 1962 and 1969.
While the name Laver may have ancient roots and historical references, it remains a relatively uncommon given name in modern times, particularly in English-speaking countries.
People
Laver + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Laver 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
Laver: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Laver?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Laver 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Laver a common name?
We classify Laver as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Laver most popular?
The single biggest year for Laver was 1977, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Laver is about 46 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 Laver in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Laver a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Laver 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 Laver still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Laver 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 Laver 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 Laver?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.