Loralyn
A feminine name derived from the combination of Lora and Lynn, with potential meanings of "laurel" or "laurel tree" and "small lake".
Name Census estimates that about 293 living Americans carry the first name Loralyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Loralyn today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Loralyn births was 1965 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Loralyn. 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.
People living today
293
~ 1 in 1,169,810 Americans
Peak year
1965
21 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2019 SSA rank
#14,856
Tracked since 1945
Popularity
Loralyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Loralyn from the 1940s through to the 2010s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 139 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
Loralyn 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 Loralyn 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 Loralyn
The name Loralyn is a relatively modern combination of names that likely originated in the late 19th or early 20th century. It appears to be a blend of the names Laura and Marilyn, both of which have separate origins and histories.
The name Laura is derived from the Latin word "laurus," meaning "laurel." The laurel was a plant associated with honor and victory in ancient Rome, and the name was sometimes bestowed upon women born into noble or aristocratic families. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Laura dates back to the 9th century, when it was used for a Spanish martyr named Laura of Cordoba.
The name Marilyn, on the other hand, is a combination of the names Mary and Lynn. Mary is a form of the Hebrew name Miriam, which means "bitter" or "beloved." Lynn is an English surname that was later adopted as a given name, derived from the Old English word "linn," meaning "lake or pool."
While the exact origin of the name Loralyn is uncertain, it likely emerged as a unique combination of these two names, perhaps as a way to honor multiple family members or to create a distinctive moniker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Loralyn was in the United States in the early 20th century. Loralyn Cropper (1909-1983) was an American singer and actress who performed on Broadway and in vaudeville shows during the 1920s and 1930s.
Another notable figure with the name Loralyn was Loralyn Croder (1937-2019), an American artist and educator known for her vibrant paintings and her work as a professor of art at East Carolina University.
Loralyn Dault (born 1956) is a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003, representing the riding of Windsor-St. Clair.
Loralyn Taylor (born 1971) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 36 in the world in 1995 and won two singles titles and four doubles titles on the WTA Tour.
Loralyn Crocker (born 1980) is a Canadian author and illustrator of children's books, best known for her works such as "Billie's Booky Wook" and "Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message."
While the name Loralyn is not as common as some other names, it has been used throughout history by individuals from various backgrounds, each contributing to the unique legacy and personality of this distinctive moniker.
People
Loralyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Loralyn 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
Loralyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Loralyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 293 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Loralyn 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 1,169,810 US residents.
Is Loralyn a common name?
We classify Loralyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 368 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Loralyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Loralyn was 1965, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Loralyn is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Loralyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Loralyn 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.
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.