Names That Mean Laurentum

Laura is a hauntingly evocative perennial, never trendy, never dated, feminine without being fussy, with long-standing literary links. 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.

Lauren was derived from Laurence, an English name from the Roman family name Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum." Laurentum, an ancient Italian city, got its name from the Latin word laurus, meaning "bay laurel."

Lawrence is the dominant spelling in the US, but in the UK Laurence and Lawrence are given in almost equal numbers each year, often with the adorable nickname Laurie or Lawrie. British actor Sir Laurence Olivier is a famous bearer.

A sweet and sophisticated nickname which feels fresh again after many years in style limbo. For literature lovers, it brings to mind Theodore "Laurie" Laurence from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. Another famous bearer is English actor Hugh Laurie.

A variant form of Laurence or Lawrence which ranked in the #200s in the US from the 1900s through to the 1960s. It didn't fall off the boys' Top 1000 until the late 1990s, following the huge popularity of Lauren for girls.

Laurie morphed into the more streamlined Lori in the sixties but now feels dated for a girl in either spelling. Update Lauren has been renovated as Laurel or Laura itself.

The spelling Loren turns Lauren or its male form Laurence into a gender-neutral name. Last year 75 baby girls were named Loren in the US vs. 60 baby boys, making this name a good nonbinary choice.

A feminine form in France, this boyish choice could make a fresh alternative to Lauren or Laura -- or be an inventive way to honor Grandpa Larry.

A Top 1000 boy name throughout the first half of the 20th century in the US, Lauren was popularized for girls by the actress Lauren Bacall. Today, while the Lauren spelling is still 99 percent feminine, Loren is truly gender-neutral, used last year for 75 baby girls and 60 baby boys.

Lovre is short for Lovrenco, the Croatian form of Laurence. In Croatia it is currently popular in its own right.

This artistic surname name derives from a diminutive of Laurence/Lawrence, and was famously borne by the English painter LS Lowry.

Alternative spelling of the Welsh name Lowri, a form of Laura.

In the midcentury US, putting an ene or een or ine at the end of any name made it more stylish. Today, it usually has the opposite effect.

Lauran may not be a spelling used much currently, but it was given to baby girls fairly frequently in Lauren's heyday, back in the 1980s and 1990s. The Lauran spelling relates the name more directly to its mother name Laura, but may make people think the pronunciation is lor-AHN or lor-ANN rather than simply Lauren.

Unusual and appealing, Laurenza might make a perfect honor name for an ancestral Laura or Lawrence. Count Laurenza among the unknown-yet-usable Italian names for girls.

Our advice - stick with Lars or Laurence, which are easier on the eye and the ear.