Lurlie
A feminine name of obscure origin, possibly derived from Laurel or Lorelei.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Lurlie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lurlie today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lurlie births was 1922 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lurlie. 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 Lurlie is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Lurlies were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lurlie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1922
13 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1952 SSA rank
#6,069
Tracked since 1890
Popularity
Lurlie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lurlie from the 1890s through to the 1950s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 48 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
Lurlie 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 Lurlie 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 Lurlie
The name Lurlie originates from the English language and is believed to have emerged in the late 19th century. It is thought to be a combination of the French name Lurlei, derived from the German "Lorelei," and the English suffix "-ie," often used as a diminutive. The Lorelei is a rock formation on the eastern bank of the Rhine River in Germany, known for its association with a legendary siren who lured sailors to their demise with her enchanting singing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lurlie can be found in the 1896 novel "St. Elmo" by Augusta Jane Evans Wilson, where a character named Lurlie Douglass is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use, albeit likely uncommon, by the late 19th century.
In 1925, Lurlie Maude Ferris, an American artist known for her illustrations of children, was born in Atchison, Kansas. She gained recognition for her work in magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post and Good Housekeeping.
Another notable Lurlie was Lurlie Edith Groom (1907-1988), an Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1944 to 1950. She was a trailblazer for women in Australian politics during the mid-20th century.
In the literary world, Lurlie Blazer (1915-2010) was an American writer and educator known for her children's books, including the popular "Upchucky" series about a young sea monster. Her works often explored themes of environmentalism and friendship.
Lurlie Dickerson Blecka (1909-1973) was an American painter and sculptor whose works were featured in several exhibitions throughout her career. She is particularly known for her abstract expressionist paintings and her depictions of the American Southwest.
While the name Lurlie has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, these examples showcase its diverse usage across various fields and regions, reflecting its intriguing origins and the unique personalities who have borne this name over the decades.
People
Lurlie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lurlie 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
Lurlie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lurlie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lurlie 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Lurlie a common name?
We classify Lurlie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 99 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lurlie most popular?
The single biggest year for Lurlie was 1922, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lurlie is about 80 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 Lurlie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lurlie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lurlie 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.
Is Lurlie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lurlie 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 Lurlie 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 Americans are named Lurlie?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Lurlie at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.