Lorin
A feminine name meaning "laurel plant" or "laurel wreath".
Name Census estimates that about 5,148 living Americans carry the first name Lorin. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 63.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Lorin today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lorin births was 1989 (139 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lorin. 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
- • Lorin started out as a boys' name but over the decades crossed over and is now given to girls far more often.
- • Lorin sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
People living today
5.1K
~ 1 in 66,580 Americans
Peak year
1989
139 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,278
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Lorin
Lorin is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 7,395 total registrations, 4,728 (63.9%) were male and 2,667 (36.1%) were female.
Lorin as a male name
- Ranked #11,760 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1965 (111 births)
Lorin as a female name
- Ranked #9,278 in 2024
- 11 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1989 (107 births)
Popularity
Lorin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lorin from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 998 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lorin 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 Lorin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lorins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 29 states and territories. California, Utah, Texas recorded the most babies named Lorin, while New Jersey, Indiana, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 71 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lorin
The name Lorin has its roots in the Latin language and is derived from the word "laurus," which means "laurel." The laurel tree was a symbol of victory and honor in ancient Roman culture, and the name was often given to children in the hope that they would grow up to achieve great things.
During the Roman era, the name Lorin was primarily used by wealthy and influential families. It was associated with nobility and prestige, and many notable figures in Roman history bore this name. One of the most famous was Lorin Flavius, a Roman statesman and philosopher who lived in the 1st century AD.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the name Lorin also gained popularity among followers of the faith. It was often given to children born on or around the feast day of St. Lawrence, a 3rd-century Christian martyr whose name is derived from the same Latin root.
In the Middle Ages, the name Lorin was commonly found in various regions of Europe, including France, Italy, and Spain. One notable bearer of the name was Lorin de' Medici, a member of the famous Medici family of Florence, who lived in the 15th century.
During the Renaissance period, the name Lorin continued to be used across Europe, particularly in Italy and France. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Lorin the Magnificent, a French nobleman and military leader who played a pivotal role in the Italian Wars of the 16th century.
In more recent times, the name Lorin has been associated with several notable figures, including Lorin Maazel, an American conductor and violinist who lived from 1930 to 2014. Another notable bearer of the name was Lorin Hollander, an American pianist and composer who lived from 1936 to 2020.
Throughout its long history, the name Lorin has carried connotations of honor, victory, and achievement, reflecting its origins in the ancient Roman symbol of the laurel tree. Its enduring popularity across various cultures and time periods is a testament to its timeless appeal and rich historical significance.
People
Lorin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lorin 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
Lorin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lorin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5,148 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lorin 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 66,580 US residents.
Is Lorin a common name?
We classify Lorin as "Rare". It ranks above 96.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7,395 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lorin most popular?
The single biggest year for Lorin was 1989, when 139 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lorin is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lorin a male name?
Yes, 63.9% of people registered as Lorin 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.
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.