Lory
A diminutive form of the feminine name Laura, derived from the Latin name Laurus meaning "laurel tree".
Name Census estimates that about 1,971 living Americans carry the first name Lory. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 89.4% of registrations being female. The average person named Lory today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lory births was 1961 (106 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lory. 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
2.0K
~ 1 in 173,899 Americans
Peak year
1961
106 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
1966 SSA rank
#4,304
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Lory
Lory leans heavily female at 89.4% of total registrations, but 267 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Lory as a male name
- Ranked #4,304 in 1966
- 5 male births in 1966
- Peak: 1957 (14 births)
Lory as a female name
- Ranked #11,818 in 2022
- 8 female births in 2022
- Peak: 1961 (106 births)
Popularity
Lory: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lory from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 787 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
Lory 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 Lory during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lorys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. California, Florida, New York recorded the most babies named Lory, while Utah, Indiana, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 47 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lory
The name Lory is a variant spelling of the name Laurie, which has its origins in the Latin name Laurentius, derived from the name Laurus, meaning "laurel tree." The laurel tree was considered sacred in ancient Rome and was often associated with victory, honor, and success.
The name Lory first appeared in the Middle Ages, particularly in France and England, where it was a popular name for both men and women. It was often used as a diminutive form of the name Laurentius or Lauren.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lory can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Lori" and is likely a variant spelling of Laurentius.
In the 12th century, a French poet named Lori de Leigni, also known as Chrétien de Troyes, wrote several influential works of Arthurian literature, including the romance "Yvain, the Knight of the Lion." His works helped popularize the use of the name Lori, and its variants, in France and other parts of Europe.
Another notable bearer of the name Lory was Lori di Bicci, an Italian Renaissance painter active in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. His works can be found in various churches and museums in Florence and other parts of Italy.
In the 16th century, Lory Palmerston, an English nobleman and politician, served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the English Reformation under King Henry VIII.
During the 18th century, Lory Nevel, a French botanist and explorer, made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification. He is credited with discovering and naming several plant species found in the Caribbean and South America.
In more recent history, Lory Del Santo, an Italian television personality and actress, gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s for her work in Italian cinema and television shows.
While the name Lory has been more commonly used as a diminutive or nickname for names like Laurence or Lauren, it has also been used as a standalone first name throughout history, with variations in spelling and pronunciation across different cultures and languages.
People
Lory + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lory 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
Lory: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lory?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,971 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lory 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 173,899 US residents.
Is Lory a common name?
We classify Lory as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,525 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lory most popular?
The single biggest year for Lory was 1961, when 106 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lory is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lory a female name?
Yes, 89.4% of people registered as Lory 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.