Lorey
Of English origin, a feminine name derived from the laurel plant.
Name Census estimates that about 216 living Americans carry the first name Lorey. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lorey today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lorey births was 1962 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lorey. 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
216
~ 1 in 1,586,826 Americans
Peak year
1962
20 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1984 SSA rank
#11,414
Tracked since 1944
Popularity
Lorey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lorey from the 1940s through to the 1980s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 131 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
Lorey 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 Lorey 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 Lorey
The name Lorey is believed to have originated from the French language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "laurus," meaning laurel or bay tree, which was a symbol of victory and honor in ancient Roman culture.
During the Medieval period, the name Lorey was often associated with individuals who lived near laurel trees or worked with laurel products, such as laurel oil or laurel wreaths. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 12th century in France, where it was primarily used as a surname.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Lorey was Jean Lorey, a French nobleman who lived in the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis IX and was known for his military service during the Seventh Crusade.
In the 15th century, a woman named Marie Lorey gained recognition for her skills as a herbalist and midwife in the city of Lyon, France. Her knowledge of medicinal plants, including the laurel, was highly sought after by the local community.
In the 16th century, the name Lorey gained popularity among Protestant families in France, particularly those of Huguenot descent. One notable figure from this period was Pierre Lorey, a Huguenot minister who was persecuted for his religious beliefs during the French Wars of Religion.
In the 17th century, a French explorer named Jacques Lorey accompanied the famous explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, on his expedition to explore the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Lorey's name is mentioned in several historical accounts of this expedition.
Another notable figure with the name Lorey was Marie-Anne Lorey, a French painter and engraver who lived in the 18th century. She was known for her intricate engravings of botanical subjects, including laurel leaves and branches.
While the name Lorey has its roots in French culture, it has also been adopted and used in other countries over the centuries. However, it has remained relatively uncommon compared to other given names, and its usage has primarily been limited to certain regions and cultural contexts.
People
Lorey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lorey 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
Lorey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lorey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 216 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lorey 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 1,586,826 US residents.
Is Lorey a common name?
We classify Lorey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 265 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lorey most popular?
The single biggest year for Lorey was 1962, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lorey is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lorey a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lorey 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.