Lorelei
Borrowed from German Lorelei (“murmuring rock or lurking rock”), but not used as a given name in Germany.
Every Lorelei since 1916 — 18,189 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Lorelei
Lorelei is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #441 in 2025 with 699 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1916, 18,189 American babies have been named Lorelei. Its peak came in 2016, when 716 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
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 Lorelei stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Lorelei year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 699 | #441 |
| 2024 | 690 | #454 |
| 2023 | 631 | #485 |
| 2022 | 715 | #442 |
| 2021 | 701 | #447 |
| 2020 | 601 | #504 |
| 2019 | 682 | #456 |
| 2018 | 659 | #472 |
| 2017 | 683 | #462 |
| 2016 | 716 | #451 |
| 2015 | 704 | #450 |
| 2014 | 653 | #482 |
| 2013 | 604 | #497 |
| 2012 | 573 | #529 |
| 2011 | 585 | #503 |
| 2010 | 548 | #535 |
| 2009 | 504 | #597 |
| 2008 | 446 | #681 |
| 2007 | 431 | #683 |
| 2006 | 380 | #736 |
| 2005 | 320 | #810 |
| 2004 | 248 | #967 |
| 2003 | 226 | #1,021 |
| 2002 | 202 | #1,058 |
| 2001 | 99 | #1,803 |
| 2000 | 63 | #2,447 |
| 1995 | 24 | #4,297 |
| 1990 | 41 | #2,832 |
| 1985 | 54 | #2,010 |
| 1980 | 53 | #1,995 |
| 1975 | 63 | #1,581 |
| 1970 | 75 | #1,399 |
| 1965 | 113 | #971 |
| 1960 | 115 | #1,004 |
| 1955 | 143 | #810 |
| 1950 | 81 | #1,016 |
| 1945 | 48 | #1,136 |
| 1940 | 58 | #951 |
| 1935 | 15 | #2,162 |
| 1930 | 27 | #1,515 |
| 1925 | 7 | #4,251 |
| 1920 | 5 | #5,426 |
| 1915 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Lorelei mean?
Borrowed from German Lorelei (“murmuring rock or lurking rock”), but not used as a given name in Germany.
How popular is the name Lorelei in 2025?
Lorelei ranked #441 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 699 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Lorelei?
18,189 babies have been named Lorelei in the United States since 1916, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Lorelei most popular?
Lorelei peaked in 2016, when 716 newborns received the name.
Is Lorelei a boy or girl name?
Lorelei is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Lorelei rising or falling?
Lorelei has been roughly stable over the past decade.