boys' name ★ peaked 1952

Lawrence

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #520 Trend ↑ Rising 10%

A male given name from Latin, the usual spelling of Laurence in the U.S.; masculine of Lauren

Rank 2025
#520
among boys · ↓12 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
585
named Lawrence · -4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 2,955
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1952
10,336 babies
All-time total
463,357
#68 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Lawrence popularity over time

463,357 babies have been named Lawrence 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
1.883.755.637.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 2,919 2,919 292 – #56
1890s 25 4,597 4,622 462 +58% #40
1900s 49 6,846 6,895 690 +49% #34
1910s 189 36,354 36,543 3,654 +430% #35
1920s 309 56,867 57,176 5,718 +56% #36
1930s 273 54,485 54,758 5,476 -4% #34
1940s 256 80,461 80,717 8,072 +47% #30
1950s 276 91,110 91,386 9,139 +13% #33
1960s 259 51,342 51,601 5,160 -44% #64
1970s 248 26,662 26,910 2,691 -48% #83
1980s 177 19,638 19,815 1,982 -26% #125
1990s 47 13,156 13,203 1,320 -33% #174
2000s 8 7,616 7,624 762 -42% #322
2010s 17 5,895 5,912 591 -22% #452
2020s (to 2025) 54 3,222 3,276 546 -8% #508

Where Lawrence 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 587 0.34 outside top 500
2027 595 0.35 outside top 500
2028 601 0.35 outside top 500
2029 607 0.36 #498
2030 612 0.36 #494

Where Lawrence is most popular

Boys named Lawrence per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.315 per 1,000. Strongest in District of Columbia, Kansas, and Wisconsin.

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 Lawrence 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
District of Columbia 14 0.948 +201%
Kansas 47 0.685 +117%
Wisconsin 81 0.684 +117%
Iowa 46 0.667 +112%
Minnesota 69 0.562 +78%
South Dakota 10 0.537 +70%
Nebraska 23 0.529 +68%
Missouri 72 0.519 +65%
New Mexico 17 0.516 +64%
Michigan 104 0.508 +61%
Connecticut 32 0.473 +50%
Colorado 57 0.442 +40%
Indiana 69 0.430 +36%
Ohio 112 0.423 +34%
Delaware 6 0.396 +25%
Virginia 75 0.395 +25%
Washington 63 0.385 +22%
Louisiana 37 0.362 +15%
South Carolina 37 0.358 +14%
North Dakota 6 0.351 +11%
New York 150 0.346 +10%
Maryland 41 0.344 +9%
Oregon 25 0.329 ≈ national
New Jersey 66 0.328 ≈ national
California 297 0.325 ≈ national
Utah 31 0.325 ≈ national
Pennsylvania 86 0.324 ≈ national
Hawaii 5 0.322 ≈ national
Illinois 82 0.321 ≈ national
Massachusetts 43 0.313 ≈ national
North Carolina 78 0.305 ≈ national
Arkansas 19 0.300 -5%
Georgia 75 0.296 -6%
Tennessee 52 0.288 -9%
Alabama 31 0.284 -10%
Mississippi 16 0.282 -11%
Florida 133 0.281 -11%
Nevada 16 0.281 -11%
Arizona 43 0.263 -17%
Kentucky 26 0.259 -18%
Texas 228 0.259 -18%
Maine 5 0.258 -18%
Oklahoma 22 0.249 -21%
Idaho 5 0.122 -61%
Alaska – – –
Montana – – –
New Hampshire – – –
Rhode Island – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
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 Lawrence

Lawrence is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #520 in 2025 with 578 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 463,357 American babies have been named Lawrence. Its peak came in 1952, when 10,336 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 Lawrence stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Lawrence?

The median living Lawrence is about 66 years old; half are between 50 and 74. An estimated 233 thousand people named Lawrence are alive in the United States today.

median 66 020406080100

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

Lawrence 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 7 #12,616 578 #520
2024 11 #9,287 600 #508
2023 12 #8,764 521 #558
2022 5 #16,663 541 #550
2021 9 #10,758 484 #580
2020 10 #9,962 498 #563
2019 6 #14,804 530 #535
2018 – – 579 #498
2017 5 #17,309 587 #494
2016 – – 614 #493
2015 – – 582 #499
2014 6 #15,715 639 #460
2013 – – 585 #476
2012 – – 601 #452
2011 – – 595 #453
2010 – – 583 #457
2009 – – 636 #441
2008 – – 676 #429
2007 – – 772 #392
2006 – – 728 #406
2005 8 #12,490 725 #395
2004 – – 768 #362
2003 – – 817 #341
2002 – – 794 #345
2001 – – 811 #340
2000 – – 889 #322
1995 – – 1,150 #248
1990 11 #7,629 1,780 #174
1985 14 #5,213 1,941 #144
1980 19 #4,074 2,173 #129
1975 24 #3,010 2,364 #110
1970 30 #2,484 3,824 #83
1965 23 #2,575 4,961 #66
1960 27 #2,274 6,380 #64
1955 24 #2,253 9,128 #42
1950 23 #2,028 10,173 #33
1945 23 #1,775 7,163 #30
1940 24 #1,616 6,173 #36
1935 28 #1,401 5,351 #35
1930 31 #1,389 5,639 #36
1925 26 #1,673 5,633 #36
1920 22 #1,855 5,727 #36
1915 28 #1,353 4,688 #37
1910 8 #1,853 1,009 #35
1905 8 #1,485 669 #38
1900 – – 659 #40
1895 – – 509 #41
1890 6 #1,278 372 #52
1885 – – 288 #64
1880 – – 257 #65

Famous people named Lawrence

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

  1. 1 Lawrence Summers Lawrence Summers American economist (born 1954) Contemporary
  2. 2 Lawrence Taylor Lawrence Taylor American football player (born 1959) Contemporary
  3. 3 Lawrence O'Donnell Lawrence O'Donnell American TV host, pundit (born 1951) Contemporary
  4. 4 Lawrence Tierney Lawrence Tierney American actor (1919–2002) Contemporary
  5. 5 Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Kasdan American filmmaker (born 1949) Contemporary
  6. 6 Lawrence Gilliard Jr. Lawrence Gilliard Jr. American actor b. 1971 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Lawrence Durrell Lawrence Durrell British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer (1912–1990) Contemporary
  8. 8 Lawrence Oates Lawrence Oates British explorer (1880–1912) 19th century
  9. 9 Lawrence Bender Lawrence Bender American film producer b. 1957 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Lawrence Lessig Lawrence Lessig American legal scholar and activist (born 1961) Contemporary
  11. 11 Lawrence Alma-Tadema Lawrence Alma-Tadema Dutch-born British painter (1836–1912) 19th century
  12. 12 Lawrence Makoare Lawrence Makoare New Zealand actor b. 1968 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Lawrence Ferlinghetti Lawrence Ferlinghetti American poet (1919–2021) Contemporary
  14. 14 Lawrence Eagleburger Lawrence Eagleburger American statesman and diplomat (1930–2011) Contemporary
  15. 15 Lawrence Kohlberg American psychologist (1927–1987) Contemporary
  16. 16 Lawrence Block Lawrence Block American writer of crime fiction (born 1938) Contemporary
  17. 17 Lawrence Bragg Lawrence Bragg Australian-born British X-ray crystallographer (1890–1971) 19th century
  18. 18 Lawrence Wright Lawrence Wright American writer and journalist (born 1947) Contemporary
  19. 19 Lawrence of Brindisi Lawrence of Brindisi Catholic priest and theologian 1559–1619 · 16th century
  20. 20 Lawrence Tibbett Lawrence Tibbett American opera singer (1896–1960) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Lawrence?

The median living Lawrence is about 66 years old. Half of all living Lawrences are between 50 and 74 years old.

How many people named Lawrence are alive today?

An estimated 233 thousand people named Lawrence are alive in the United States, based on 463,357 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Lawrence mean?

A male given name from Latin, the usual spelling of Laurence in the U.S.; masculine of Lauren

How popular is the name Lawrence in 2025?

Lawrence ranked #520 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 578 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Lawrence?

463,357 babies have been named Lawrence in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Lawrence most popular?

Lawrence peaked in 1952, when 10,336 newborns received the name.

Is Lawrence a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Lawrence rising or falling?

Lawrence has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Lawrence become more popular?

Lawrence looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 612 boys named Lawrence in 2030, ranking around #494. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Lawrence?

Well-known people named Lawrence include Lawrence Summers (economist), Lawrence Taylor (american football player), Lawrence O'Donnell (actor).

Names like Lawrence

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

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