boys' name ★ peaked 1947

Larry

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,085 Trend ↓ Falling 31%

A diminutive of the male given name Laurence or Lawrence, popular as a male given name in the U.S.

Rank 2025
#1,085
among boys · ↓14 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
198
named Larry · -3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 8,627
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1947
35,027 babies
All-time total
811,148
#40 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Larry popularity over time

811,148 babies have been named Larry since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
6.2512.518.752518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 150 150 15 – #363
1890s – 299 299 30 +99% #293
1900s – 634 634 63 +112% #224
1910s 36 2,576 2,612 261 +312% #218
1920s 73 7,219 7,292 729 +179% #135
1930s 252 65,249 65,501 6,550 +798% #14
1940s 747 255,908 256,655 25,666 +292% #10
1950s 995 245,698 246,693 24,669 -4% #11
1960s 599 108,582 109,181 10,918 -56% #28
1970s 520 58,138 58,658 5,866 -46% #43
1980s 284 31,278 31,562 3,156 -46% #70
1990s 54 15,946 16,000 1,600 -49% #144
2000s – 9,139 9,139 914 -43% #280
2010s – 5,345 5,345 535 -42% #364
2020s (to 2025) – 1,427 1,427 238 -56% #838

Where Larry is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 186 0.11 outside top 500
2027 177 0.10 outside top 500
2028 169 0.10 outside top 500
2029 163 0.10 outside top 500
2030 158 0.09 outside top 500

Where Larry is most popular

Boys named Larry per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.134 per 1,000. Strongest in Louisiana, Missouri, and Georgia.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Larry born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Louisiana 30 0.293 +120%
Missouri 31 0.224 +67%
Georgia 56 0.221 +65%
Tennessee 38 0.211 +58%
Ohio 55 0.208 +55%
Indiana 33 0.206 +54%
Michigan 35 0.171 +28%
Wisconsin 20 0.169 +26%
Texas 146 0.166 +24%
Florida 76 0.161 +20%
South Carolina 16 0.155 +16%
West Virginia 5 0.153 +15%
Kentucky 14 0.140 ≈ national
Alabama 15 0.137 ≈ national
North Carolina 35 0.137 ≈ national
Oklahoma 11 0.124 -7%
Mississippi 7 0.123 -8%
Virginia 23 0.121 -9%
California 105 0.115 -14%
Illinois 27 0.106 -21%
Pennsylvania 25 0.094 -30%
Maryland 10 0.084 -37%
Arkansas 5 0.079 -41%
Arizona 12 0.073 -45%
Kansas 5 0.073 -45%
Oregon 5 0.066 -51%
New York 24 0.055 -59%
Washington 8 0.049 -63%
Massachusetts 5 0.036 -73%
New Jersey 5 0.025 -81%
Alaska – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Larry

Larry is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,085 in 2025 with 198 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 811,148 American babies have been named Larry. Its peak came in 1947, when 35,027 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1940s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Larry stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Larry?

The median living Larry is about 69 years old; half are between 58 and 76. An estimated 529 thousand people named Larry are alive in the United States today.

median 69 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Larry year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 198 #1,085
2024 – – 204 #1,071
2023 – – 218 #1,012
2022 – – 264 #893
2021 – – 270 #865
2020 – – 273 #838
2019 – – 312 #761
2018 – – 344 #705
2017 – – 413 #630
2016 – – 446 #604
2015 – – 516 #558
2014 – – 545 #513
2013 – – 581 #479
2012 – – 659 #425
2011 – – 716 #398
2010 – – 813 #364
2009 – – 783 #388
2008 – – 824 #375
2007 – – 963 #331
2006 – – 791 #379
2005 – – 828 #358
2004 – – 898 #334
2003 – – 950 #315
2002 – – 954 #304
2001 – – 1,030 #290
2000 – – 1,118 #280
1995 8 #10,096 1,401 #210
1990 6 #12,197 2,194 #144
1985 28 #3,204 2,946 #97
1980 55 #1,951 4,262 #70
1975 44 #2,006 5,307 #56
1970 63 #1,552 8,104 #43
1965 51 #1,565 9,403 #38
1960 87 #1,170 15,988 #28
1955 117 #911 22,819 #19
1950 106 #864 31,480 #11
1945 64 #972 22,824 #11
1940 73 #836 17,199 #13
1935 20 #1,744 5,975 #33
1930 11 #2,781 1,719 #108
1925 10 #3,242 724 #190
1920 9 #3,474 440 #261
1915 – – 301 #288
1910 – – 114 #218
1905 – – 72 #230
1900 – – 62 #261
1895 – – 37 #299
1890 – – 24 #366
1885 – – 19 #419
1880 – – 13 #513

Famous people named Larry

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Larry Ellison Larry Ellison American businessman (born 1944) Contemporary
  2. 2 Larry Bird Larry Bird American basketball player (born 1956) Contemporary
  3. 3 Larry David Larry David American comedian, writer and actor (born 1947) Contemporary
  4. 4 Larry Page Larry Page American businessman (born 1973) Contemporary
  5. 5 Larry Silverstein Larry Silverstein American businessman (born 1931) Contemporary
  6. 6 Larry King Larry King American TV and radio host (1933–2021) Contemporary
  7. 7 Larry Hagman Larry Hagman American actor (1931–2012) Contemporary
  8. 8 Larry Holmes Larry Holmes American boxer (born 1949) Contemporary
  9. 9 Larry Linville Larry Linville American actor (1939–2000) Contemporary
  10. 10 Larry Flynt Larry Flynt American publisher (1942–2021) Contemporary
  11. 11 Larry Fine Larry Fine American comedian and actor (1902–1975) Contemporary
  12. 12 Larry Sanger Larry Sanger Co-founder of Wikipedia (born 1968) Contemporary
  13. 13 Larry Brown Larry Brown American basketball coach and former player b. 1940 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Larry Hankin Larry Hankin American actor (born 1937) b. 1940 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Larry Johnson Larry Johnson American basketball player (born 1969) Contemporary
  16. 16 Larry Clark Larry Clark American filmmaker b. 1943 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Larry Carlton Larry Carlton American guitarist (born 1948) Contemporary
  18. 18 Larry Kramer Larry Kramer American playwright and gay rights activist (1935–2020) Contemporary
  19. 19 Larry O'Brien Larry O'Brien American politician and basketball commissioner (1917–1990) Contemporary
  20. 20 Larry Drake Larry Drake American actor (1949–2016) 1950–2016 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Larry, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Larry?

The median living Larry is about 69 years old. Half of all living Larrys are between 58 and 76 years old.

How many people named Larry are alive today?

An estimated 529 thousand people named Larry are alive in the United States, based on 811,148 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Larry mean?

A diminutive of the male given name Laurence or Lawrence, popular as a male given name in the U.S.

How popular is the name Larry in 2025?

Larry ranked #1,085 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 198 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Larry?

811,148 babies have been named Larry in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Larry most popular?

Larry peaked in 1947, when 35,027 newborns received the name.

Is Larry a boy or girl name?

Larry is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Larry rising or falling?

Larry is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Larry become more popular?

Larry is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 158 boys named Larry in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Larry?

Well-known people named Larry include Larry Ellison (businessperson), Larry Bird (basketball player), Larry David (comedian).

Names like Larry

Names that sound and feel close to Larry: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Larry with similar names → More names starting with L →