Lorraine
About Lorraine
Sweet Lorraine might just be old enough to be ripe for reconsideration. This French place name has moved in and out of fashion in the few hundred years it's been used as a girls' first name, somewhat influenced by the alternative name of Joan of Arc--Saint Joan of Lorraine. It was quite popular from the 1920s to the fifties, but has pretty much been in limbo since then.
Some memorable Lorraines are A Raisin in the Sun playwright Hansberry, actress Bracco and original SNL cast member Laraine Newman--the alternate spelling Laraine was popularized by forties star Laraine Day. Lorraine is also the name of Jack Nicholson's now grown daughter.
In the movie Uptown Girls, Dakota Fanning's Lorraine character was nicknamed Ray--more modern sounding than Lorrie.
Pronounced luh-RAYN.
As of October 2026, Lorraine ranked #1044 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #39 in 1928, Nameberry popularity #585.
Editor: Sophie Kihm
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,791 | 115 | 64.4 |
| 2015 | #1,724 | 122 | 68.3 |
| 2016 | #1,558 | 144 | 81.3 |
| 2017 | #1,587 | 138 | 79.9 |
| 2018 | #1,581 | 137 | 80.5 |
| 2019 | #1,420 | 158 | 94.1 |
| 2020 | #1,393 | 157 | 97.1 |
| 2021 | #1,373 | 161 | 98.1 |
| 2022 | #1,306 | 181 | 110.4 |
| 2023 | #1,358 | 166 | 103.5 |
| 2024 | #1,417 | 157 | 96.9 |
| 2025 | #1,044 | 238 | 148.1 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Lorraine.
- Gillian
- Johanna
- Eileen
- Marilyn
- Paulina
- Joyce
- Marlene
- Loretta
- Nicolette
- Beth
- Marianne
- Georgina
- Dorethea
- Marian
- Kathleen
- Clarice
- Rosanna
- Ellen
- Nadine
- Nicola
Lorraine on lists
Famous Lorraines
- Lorraine Bracco
American actress
- Lorraine Nicholson
American actress; daughter of actor Jack Nicholson
- Lorraine Paula Kelly
Scottish TV presenter
- Lorraine Bayly
Australian actress
- Lorraine McNamara
American ice dancer
- Lorraine Rita Warren
American paranormal investigator
- Lorraine Vivian Hansberry
American playwright
- Lorraine Ming "Lorrie" Fair
American soccer player
- Lorraine Joyce Crapp
Australian Olympic swimmer
- Lorraine Toussaint
American actress
- Lorraine Broderick
American television soap opera writer
- Lorraine Chase
English actress and model
- Lorraine Collett
American model
- Marybelle Luraine "Lorraine" Ellison
American soul singer
- Lorraine Fenton
Jamaican Olympic runner
- Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
American mezzo,soprano
- Lorraine McIntosh
lead singer of Scottish pop band Deacon Blue
- Lorraine Christine Segato
Canadian pop singer
- Lillian Lorraine
American actress; model for 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' character Lorelei Lee
Lorraine in pop culture
- Lorraine Wicks
character on British soap "EastEnders"
- Lorraine
a Memphis prostitute in William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury"
- Lorraine Baines
McFly, character in the "Back to the Future" series
- Lorraine Baker
character in movie "Cheaper By the Dozen"
- Lorraine "Lor" McQuarrie
character in movie "The Weekenders"
- Lorraine Swanson
character played by Mo Collins on "MADtv"
- Lorraine Maillard
character in the games "The Park" and "The Secret World"
- Lorraine Broughton
character in the film "Atomic Blonde"
- "Oh Sweet Lorraine
" song by Fred Stobaugh
- "Sweet Lorraine
" popular song written by Cliff Burwell
- The Maid of Lorraine
prophecy supposedly fulfilled by Saint Joan of Arc
- Lorraine Lee
Australian pink rose bred in 1924
- Alsace
Lorraine, territory in Europe, between France & Germany