Lornell
One used to describe a tall, sturdy young man.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Lornell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lornell today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lornell births was 1965 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lornell. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lornell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1965
6 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1965 SSA rank
#3,774
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Lornell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lornell 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 Lornell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lornell
The name Lornell has its origins in ancient Gaelic and Celtic cultures, tracing back to the early medieval period around the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Old Irish word "lorn," meaning "bare" or "shaven," and the diminutive suffix "-ell," indicating a small or affectionate form. This suggests the name may have initially referred to a person with a closely cropped or bald head.
Lornell was a relatively uncommon name, primarily found in regions of Ireland and Scotland where Celtic influences were strong. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 7th century, when a monk named Lornell of Iona was mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.
In the 9th century, a Lornell mac Áedáin was recorded as a Scottish king who ruled the kingdom of Dalriada, a region spanning parts of modern-day Scotland and Northern Ireland. This early historical figure may have helped establish the name's association with royalty and nobility in certain regions.
During the Middle Ages, the name Lornell appeared sporadically in various records and documents from Ireland and Scotland. One notable bearer was Lornell O'Doherty, an Irish chieftain and leader of the O'Doherty clan in County Donegal, who lived in the 16th century.
In the 17th century, a Scottish poet and scholar named Lornell Campbell gained recognition for his works documenting the history and culture of the Scottish Highlands. His writings helped preserve and promote the Celtic heritage associated with the name.
Another significant figure was Lornell MacGregor, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Jacobite risings of the early 18th century, ultimately becoming a renowned military leader in the service of the French monarchy.
While the name Lornell has faded in popularity over time, it maintains a rich historical connection to Celtic and Gaelic cultures, with a lineage that can be traced back to the early medieval period and beyond.
People
Lornell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lornell 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
Lornell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lornell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lornell 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Lornell a common name?
We classify Lornell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lornell most popular?
The single biggest year for Lornell was 1965, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lornell is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Lornell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lornell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lornell 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.
Is Lornell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lornell 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 Lornell 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Lornell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.