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Laura

Heart
English from Latin
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"

Laura Origin and Meaning

The name Laura is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "from Laurentum or bay laurel".

Laura is a hauntingly evocative perennial, never trendy, never dated, feminine without being fussy, with literary links stretching back to Dante. All this makes Laura a more solid choice than any of its more decorative counterparts and one of the most classic girl names starting with L.

Laura has ranked on the popular names list since official US records have been kept. A frequent Top 20 name from 1963 to 1986, reaching Number 10 in 1969, Laura remained in the Top 100—minus a brief stretch from 1935 to 1944—until as recently as 2001.

The meaning of the name, laurel, implies victory via the laurel wreath worn by Olympic athletes and Roman emperors. It was first made famous by the Laura to whom the Italian Renaissance poet Petrarch dedicated many of his love poems and was later used by Dickens in Bleak House.

Well known Lauras include First Lady Bush, Little House writer Ingalls Wilder, designer Ashley, and actors Dern and Linney.

# 363 in the US

Laura Rank in US Top 1000

# 188 on Nameberry

Laura Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Laura Popularity

20 Names Similar to Laura

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Famous People Named Laura

  • Laura Ingalls WilderAmerican Pioneer and children's novelist
  • Laura Lane Welch BushU.S. First Lady as wife of President George W. Bush
  • Laura PreponAmerican actress
  • Laura Leggett LinneyAmerican actress
  • Laura Elizabeth DernAmerican actress
  • Laura KaeppelerMiss America 2012
  • Laura Beatrice MarlingEnglish singer,songwriter
  • Laura Elizabeth CarmichaelEnglish actress
  • Laura MaranoAmerican actress
  • Laura AllenAmerican actress
  • Laura Sioux KirkpatrickAmerican model
  • Laura Ilene BenantiAmerican actress
  • Laura FraserScottish actress
  • LauraLeigh, (born Laura Leigh Moser), American actress
  • Laura Ann OsnesAmerican actress and singer
  • Laura MennellCanadian actress
  • Laura Anne IngrahamAmerican radio host
  • authorand political commentator
  • Laura Ewa ŁączPolish actress
  • Laura SamojłowiczPolish actress
  • Laura Colleen Gloria AllewayAustralian soccer players
  • Laura BassettEnglish football player
  • Laura Stéphanie GeorgesFrench football player
  • Laura Anna BenkarthGerman football player
  • Laura del Rio GarciaSpanish football player
  • Laura Willingham BaileyVoice actor and player on the dnd show Critical Role
  • Laura ZengAmerican rhythmic gymnast
  • Laura HalfordBritish rhythmic gymnast
  • Laura PergolizziAmerican singer,songwriter who goes by LP
  • Laura SalesPortuguese rhythmic gymnast
  • Laura PausiniItalian singer
  • Laura BragatoBeautiful Italian Model
  • Laura Lee Cover (b. 1977) Playboy Playmate & Model

Laura in Pop Culture

  • Laura Holtcharacter on TV's "Remington Steele"
  • Laura Wingfieldcharacter in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
  • Laura Roslincharacter on TV's "Battlestar Galactica"
  • Laura Petriecharacter on "The Dick van Dyke Show"
  • Laura Palmercharacter on TV series/film "Twin Peaks"
  • Laura Winslowcharacter on TV's "Family Matters"
  • Laura Spencercharacter on American soap "General Hospital"
  • Lauracharacter in video game Silent Hill 2
  • Laura Proekcharacter on "Fortysomething"
  • Laura Hellingercharacter on TV series "The Good Wife"
  • Laura Hollischaracter on the web,series, "Carmilla"
  • Laura Chasecharacter in "The Blind Assassin" by Margaret Atwood
  • Laura "X23" Kinney, character in "X,Men"
  • Laura Victorianocharacter in the video game "The Evil Within"
  • Laura Moon (nee McCabe)character in book and TV series "American Gods"
  • "Tell Laura I Love Her" song by Ray Peterson
  • "Laura" song by Scissor Sisters
  • "Laura" song by Bat For Lashes
  • Lauraa character from the 3DS game "Fantasy Life"
  • Laura Bowmain protagonist of her eponymous Sierra adventure game series
  • Laura Hardythe mother of the Hardy Boys
  • Laura Vanderboomcharacter in the Cube Escape and Rusty lake series