Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1924

Lavern

Meaning A unisex given name transferred from the surname Gender Unisex · 40% girls Rank 2025 #4,097 Trend ↑ Rising 32%

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

Rank 2025
#4,097
among boys · ↑54 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
26
named Lavern
How common
1 in 65,695
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1924
435 babies
All-time total
17,081
#1,192 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Lavern popularity over time

17,081 babies have been named Lavern 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
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 11 11 1 – #993
1890s 22 23 45 5 +309% #912
1900s 83 74 157 16 +249% #686
1910s 618 1,090 1,708 171 +988% #397
1920s 1,321 2,628 3,949 395 +131% #347
1930s 1,026 2,178 3,204 320 -19% #348
1940s 1,008 1,379 2,387 239 -25% #440
1950s 1,398 960 2,358 236 -1% #609
1960s 884 602 1,486 149 -37% #786
1970s 299 281 580 58 -61% #1,362
1980s 126 200 326 33 -44% #2,122
1990s 53 172 225 23 -31% #2,666
2000s 7 236 243 24 +8% #3,384
2010s – 227 227 23 -7% #3,594
2020s (to 2025) – 175 175 29 +28% #3,390

Where Lavern 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 27 0.02 outside top 500
2027 28 0.02 outside top 500
2028 29 0.02 outside top 500
2029 30 0.02 outside top 500
2030 30 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Lavern

Lavern is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,097 in 2025 with 26 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 17,081 American babies have been named Lavern, about 60% boys and 40% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1924, when 435 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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 Lavern stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Lavern?

The median living Lavern is about 68 years old; half are between 56 and 78. An estimated 6,900 people named Lavern are alive in the United States today.

median 68 020406080100

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

Lavern 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 – – 26 #4,097
2024 – – 26 #4,151
2023 – – 35 #3,390
2022 – – 32 #3,581
2021 – – 30 #3,704
2020 – – 26 #3,979
2019 – – 24 #4,290
2018 – – 19 #5,030
2017 – – 20 #4,856
2016 – – 25 #4,157
2015 – – 21 #4,640
2014 – – 25 #4,083
2013 – – 25 #4,019
2012 – – 17 #5,400
2011 – – 21 #4,596
2010 – – 30 #3,594
2009 – – 28 #3,782
2008 – – 24 #4,212
2007 – – 23 #4,308
2006 7 #14,452 24 #4,059
2005 – – 22 #4,139
2004 – – 21 #4,201
2003 – – 21 #4,063
2002 – – 26 #3,414
2001 – – 22 #3,797
2000 – – 25 #3,384
1995 – – 19 #3,511
1990 15 #5,990 25 #2,666
1985 8 #7,968 17 #2,898
1980 16 #4,638 21 #2,410
1975 31 #2,542 22 #2,099
1970 59 #1,611 38 #1,362
1965 72 #1,267 54 #1,009
1960 142 #870 95 #786
1955 176 #713 109 #702
1950 83 #1,004 127 #609
1945 112 #704 120 #547
1940 83 #777 174 #440
1935 112 #616 209 #377
1930 128 #613 262 #349
1925 127 #655 256 #371
1920 131 #627 236 #388
1915 68 #801 135 #478
1910 17 #1,093 17 #742
1905 8 #1,484 13 #686
1900 7 #1,656 6 #1,245
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – 5 #998

Famous people named Lavern

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

  1. 1 LaVern Baker LaVern Baker American rhythm and blues singer (1929–1997) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Lavern?

The median living Lavern is about 68 years old. Half of all living Laverns are between 56 and 78 years old.

How many people named Lavern are alive today?

An estimated 6,900 people named Lavern are alive in the United States, based on 17,081 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Lavern mean?

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

How popular is the name Lavern in 2025?

Lavern ranked #4,097 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 26 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Lavern?

17,081 babies have been named Lavern in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Lavern most popular?

Lavern peaked in 1924, when 435 newborns received the name.

Is Lavern a boy or girl name?

Lavern is used for both: about 40% of babies named Lavern have been girls and 60% boys.

Is the name Lavern rising or falling?

Lavern is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Lavern become more popular?

Lavern is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 30 boys named Lavern 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 Lavern?

Well-known people named Lavern include LaVern Baker (singer).

Names like Lavern

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

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