Loris
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "laurel plant".
Name Census estimates that about 758 living Americans carry the first name Loris. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 74.6% of registrations being female. The average person named Loris today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Loris births was 1935 (78 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Loris. 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
- • The typical person named Loris is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Loris' were born before 1968.
People living today
758
~ 1 in 452,183 Americans
Peak year
1935
78 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,410
Tracked since 1903
Gender
Gender distribution for Loris
Loris is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 2,280 total registrations, 579 (25.4%) were male and 1,701 (74.6%) were female.
Loris as a male name
- Ranked #13,410 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1923 (22 births)
Loris as a female name
- Ranked #17,020 in 2019
- 5 female births in 2019
- Peak: 1935 (64 births)
Popularity
Loris: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Loris from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 531 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Loris 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 Loris during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Loris' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Illinois, Michigan recorded the most babies named Loris, while Washington, Louisiana, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Loris
The given name Loris is thought to have originated from the Greek word "lauros", meaning a laurel tree or wreath made from laurel branches. The laurel wreath was a symbol of victory and honor in ancient Greece, and the name may have been given to children as a wish for them to achieve success and glory in life.
During the Byzantine era, the name Loris was borne by several notable figures, including Loris Akindynos, a 14th-century Byzantine Greek scholar and theologian. He was known for his opposition to the teachings of Gregory Palamas and his defense of Aristotelian philosophy.
In the 16th century, Loris Gritti was a Venetian statesman and diplomat who served as the Doge of Venice from 1523 to 1538. He played a significant role in the diplomatic relations between Venice and the Ottoman Empire.
In the 19th century, Loris-Melikov, whose full name was Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov (1825-1888), was a prominent Russian statesman and military leader. He served as the Minister of the Interior and the head of the Supreme Executive Commission, a short-lived government body established in 1880.
Another notable bearer of the name was Loris Karius, a German professional footballer born in 1993. He has played as a goalkeeper for various clubs, including Liverpool and Union Berlin.
Loris Capirossi (born in 1973) is an Italian former professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the MotoGP World Championship and won three Grand Prix titles, including the 2003 MotoGP World Championship.
While the name Loris has ancient Greek roots, it has been used across various cultures and regions over the centuries, often associated with individuals who achieved success or made significant contributions in their respective fields.
People
Loris + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Loris 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
Loris: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Loris?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 758 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Loris 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 452,183 US residents.
Is Loris a common name?
We classify Loris as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,280 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Loris most popular?
The single biggest year for Loris was 1935, when 78 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Loris is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Loris a female name?
Yes, 74.6% of people registered as Loris 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.