Lora
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "bay laurel tree".
Name Census estimates that about 32,423 living Americans carry the first name Lora. It is a predominantly female name (99.5% of registrations). The average person named Lora today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lora births was 1963 (1,598 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lora. 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 Lora with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Although Lora is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 249 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • Compared to the 1960s, recent registration numbers for Lora have dropped to less than 5% of what they once were.
People living today
32K
~ 1 in 10,571 Americans
Peak year
1963
1,598 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
1987 SSA rank
#3,539
Tracked since 1880
Census
Lora in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 35,098 people with the first name Lora, which placed it at #1,142 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#1,142
National first-name rank
People counted
35K
35,098 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
11.6
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
84.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lora
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lora is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Hispanic (4.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Lora described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Lora at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 29,492
- Black or African American6.4% · 2,257
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 1,446
- Two or more races3.1% · 1,095
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 486
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 322
Gender
Gender distribution for Lora
Out of the 52,425 babies given the name Lora since 1880, 99.5% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Lora as a male name
- Ranked #7,678 in 1987
- 5 male births in 1987
- Peak: 1916 (11 births)
Lora as a female name
- Ranked #3,539 in 2024
- 44 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1963 (1,598 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Lora appears almost entirely female. Of the 35,094 people counted with this name, 99.8% were female and only a very small share were male.
Popularity
Lora: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lora from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 14,221 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lora 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 Lora during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Loras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 50 states and territories. Ohio, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Lora, while Nevada, Delaware, New Hampshire recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 867 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lora
The name Lora has its origins in the Latin language, with roots dating back to ancient Roman times. It is a feminine form of the masculine name Laurus, which means "laurel" in Latin. The laurel was a symbol of honor, victory, and poetic excellence in ancient Roman culture.
In the early centuries of the Christian era, Lora emerged as a given name, particularly in regions where Latin was spoken and Roman influence was strong. It was popular among families with ties to the Roman Empire or those who embraced the cultural traditions and symbolism associated with the laurel.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lora can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who mentioned a woman named Lora in his historical accounts from the 1st century BC. The name also appeared in various inscriptions and records from that era, indicating its use among the Roman populace.
During the Middle Ages, the name Lora gained popularity in parts of Europe, particularly in regions with strong Latin cultural influences. It was often associated with literary and artistic pursuits, as the laurel symbolized poetic achievement and creative expression.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lora. One of the earliest recorded figures was Lora Beatrix, a 10th-century Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her support of literary and artistic endeavors.
In the 16th century, Lora Pallavicino was an Italian poet and writer who gained recognition for her poetic works and her contributions to the literary circles of her time. She lived from 1525 to 1588.
Another prominent figure was Lora Fontanges, a 17th-century French courtier and mistress to King Louis XIV. She was born in 1652 and is remembered for her influential role in French high society and fashion trends during the reign of the Sun King.
In the 19th century, Lora Delano Roosevelt, born in 1805 and died in 1888, was an American philanthropist and the great-aunt of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She was known for her charitable works and her support of various social causes.
More recently, Lora Leigh, born in 1965, is an American author of contemporary and erotic romance novels. She has gained popularity for her bestselling series and contributions to the romance genre.
While these are just a few examples, the name Lora has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and time periods, often reflecting the cultural and literary traditions associated with its Latin origins and the symbolism of the laurel.
People
Lora + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lora 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
Lora: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lora?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32,423 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lora 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 10,571 US residents.
Is Lora a common name?
We classify Lora as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 52,425 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lora most popular?
The single biggest year for Lora was 1963, when 1,598 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lora is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Lora in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 35,098 people with the name Lora, or 11.62 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #1,142 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Lora in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Lora?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Lora appears almost entirely female. Of the 35,094 people counted with this name, 99.8% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Lora?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lora is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Hispanic (4.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Lora most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Lora in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (29,492 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Lora in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lora a female name?
Yes, 99.5% of people registered as Lora 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 Lora still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lora 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 Lora 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.
How many people are named Lora?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.