Laurel
A female or male given name from English from the laurel plant.
Every Laurel since 1883 — 48,973 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Laurel
Laurel is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #734 in 2025 with 372 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1883, 48,973 American babies have been named Laurel. Its peak came in 1956, when 1,197 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
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 Laurel stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Laurel 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 | 372 | #734 | — | — |
| 2024 | 387 | #729 | — | — |
| 2023 | 394 | #716 | — | — |
| 2022 | 415 | #711 | 6 | #11,711 |
| 2021 | 465 | #638 | — | — |
| 2020 | 415 | #686 | — | — |
| 2019 | 388 | #728 | — | — |
| 2018 | 484 | #622 | — | — |
| 2017 | 504 | #598 | — | — |
| 2016 | 459 | #643 | — | — |
| 2015 | 369 | #768 | — | — |
| 2014 | 340 | #816 | — | — |
| 2013 | 297 | #870 | — | — |
| 2012 | 262 | #970 | — | — |
| 2011 | 282 | #923 | — | — |
| 2010 | 233 | #1,067 | — | — |
| 2009 | 241 | #1,061 | — | — |
| 2008 | 272 | #982 | — | — |
| 2007 | 288 | #939 | — | — |
| 2006 | 316 | #850 | — | — |
| 2005 | 332 | #783 | — | — |
| 2004 | 355 | #740 | — | — |
| 2003 | 404 | #656 | — | — |
| 2002 | 375 | #674 | — | — |
| 2001 | 399 | #628 | — | — |
| 2000 | 463 | #564 | — | — |
| 1995 | 407 | #567 | — | — |
| 1990 | 447 | #532 | — | — |
| 1985 | 561 | #402 | 8 | #4,972 |
| 1980 | 477 | #449 | 11 | #3,752 |
| 1975 | 313 | #549 | — | — |
| 1970 | 622 | #382 | 6 | #4,519 |
| 1965 | 524 | #405 | 8 | #3,129 |
| 1960 | 790 | #333 | 16 | #2,086 |
| 1955 | 982 | #276 | 24 | #1,590 |
| 1950 | 758 | #282 | 16 | #1,920 |
| 1945 | 530 | #298 | 24 | #1,364 |
| 1940 | 287 | #406 | 35 | #1,117 |
| 1935 | 102 | #650 | 30 | #1,239 |
| 1930 | 139 | #581 | 33 | #1,245 |
| 1925 | 135 | #632 | 39 | #1,135 |
| 1920 | 68 | #883 | 55 | #935 |
| 1915 | 41 | #1,047 | 40 | #1,007 |
| 1910 | 12 | #1,384 | 6 | #1,513 |
| 1905 | 8 | #1,481 | 6 | #1,172 |
| 1900 | 10 | #1,272 | — | — |
| 1895 | 5 | #1,719 | 5 | #1,175 |
| 1890 | 7 | #1,153 | — | — |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,122 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Laurel
- Laurel Aitken Singer · 1927–2005
- Laurel Clark Astronaut · 1961–2003
- Laurel Holloman Painter · b. 1971
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Laurel mean?
A female or male given name from English from the laurel plant.
How popular is the name Laurel in 2025?
Laurel ranked #734 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 372 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Laurel?
48,973 babies have been named Laurel in the United States since 1883, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Laurel most popular?
Laurel peaked in 1956, when 1,197 newborns received the name.
Is Laurel a boy or girl name?
Laurel is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 96% of babies with the name.
Is the name Laurel rising or falling?
Laurel is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Laurel?
Well-known people named Laurel include Laurel Aitken (singer), Laurel Clark (astronaut), Laurel Holloman (painter).