English Names that Start With L

Antique girl names like Louise, Louisa, Loretta, and Etta are all on the rise, and Louetta is a hidden gem among them. Rumer Willis revived this vintage compound name for her daughter, Louetta Isley Thomas Willis in 2023.
 
Louetta, an elaborate diminutive of Lou or Louise, was used consistently from the 1910s-1960s' but has never been given to more than 50 baby girls in a single year. In fact, between 1979 and 2019, it didn't appear in the US stats at all and a recent year saw it given to just 7 babies while similar Luetta was chosen for 5.

Louetta

Leyden and its big brother Layden are both used quietly in the US. Leyden was given to five baby boys last year, while Layden was used for about 20. 

Both names are more commonly found as surnames and owe their lives as first names to the trend for the popular Aiden or Ayden enhanced with different first letters: Cayden, Brayden, Zayden etc. But Layden and Leyden are Anglicizations of the old Irish Gaelic name Loideain and may be considered its relatives.

Leyden Lewis is a prominent interior designer.

Leyden

When Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves chose the old English surname and place name Livingston for their third child, they elevated it from half of a Stanley & Livingston joke to a modern possibility.  Kind of.  The only other well-known bearer of the name in the contemporary world is singer Livingston Taylor, brother of James, who is called Liv.  Given that little Livingston McConaughey's older brother is named Levi, that uplifting nickname may be too close, though his parents apparently like its sound.  An original choice.

Livingston

Echoes of two dated names: Lori and Linda. 

Lorinda

Suede, Velvet, Cotton, and Denim have all been given to babies, and now Linen has been added to the mix, given to a handful of babies in the US in the 2020s. One of the oldest fabrics to be woven, Linen is associated with freshness and with being cool in hot weather.
 
Ultimately derived from Latin and Greek, Linen shares its origins with the more familiar Linus, while sound-wise, it may remind people of Lyric, Lynn, Lennon, and Linnea.

Linen

A vintage-feeling compound name, blending two classic choices, Louanne was popular in France in the 2000s, both in this form and as Lou-Anne. While it may mean "graceful, renowned warrior" from Anne and Louise, it may also be considered a feminine form of the Breton Elouan meaning "light".
 
Other forms of the name include Louanna, Luann, and Luanna, which are more popular in the US.

Louanne

Lovetta can be viewed in two ways: an elaboration of Love, similar in feel to Loretta or Violetta, or spin on the surname Lovett, similar to Everette or Wyetta. As such, it could mean "little love" or "little wolf, wolf cub".
 
Used quietly across the 20th-century, Lovetta reappeared in the US stats in 2025.

Lovetta

Lace-hankie name with Shakespearean pedigree. 

Lucetta

Though it's used far more often for boys, Lyle has a lot in common with today's trending girl names that share the double L sound: Lila, Layla, and Lola. With its cool island related meaning, derived from the Norman French l'isle, it has been appearing in the US stars for girls since at least the 1880s, given to a small number of girls most years.

Lyle

Similar in sound to Lochlan, Beckett, and Luca, this surname style name made its US debut in 2025. Both a spin on the heartfelt word name Lockett and a last name derived from Biblical classic, Luke, its entry to the US stats was preceded by influencers  Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan choosing Locket for their son in 2024. 

Lockett

Almost exclusively associated with opera diva Leontyne Price.   If you want to use the suddenly-stylish Leontyne, we'd recommend the French Leontine spelling.

Leontyne

Lettice is still occasionally heard in upper-class British families, but we fear it would cause too much salad-green teasing to be considered in the U.S.  Calling your little Lettice Lettie could help make the name more user-friendly, or go all the way to the original Letitia. 

Lettice

British place-name unlikely to evoke much passion in any baby namer. 

Lancaster

Surname choice that could be used to honor the playwright Lanford Wilson. 

Lanford

Classy-sounding surname name usually bypassed in favor of the simpler Landon. 

Langdon

The name of a large Air Force base in the US, Langley is a surname style choice that may appeal to fans of Langston, Landon, and Oakley, but also Banner, Navy, and Cannon. Quietly used for boys in the 20th century, it has leaned slightly feminine since the 1990s after actress Mariel Hemmingway chose it for one of her daughters.

Langley

Lindsay is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey ending was usually reserved for women and the ay ending reserved for men, although both spellings are overwhelmingly female these days.

Lindsay

In Wuthering Heights, Cathy's milquetoast husband; Heath is so much more appealing. 

Linton

Slightly less stiff and small if spelled Lytton. 

Litton

This English surname offers an interesting mix of images: it sounds upper-crusty yet macho, and also conjures up the coziness of a wintery ski lodge.  As a surname it is associated with the Massachusetts Republican Senate Minority Leader in the Woodrow Wilson era, Henry Cabot Lodge, who was the father of poet George Cabot Lodge and grandfather of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., who was ambassador to the UN and Richard Nixon's 1960 presidential running mate.


Lodge

English names that start with the letter L for boys and girls, including Louetta, Leyden, Livingston, Lorinda, Linen, Louanne, Lovetta, Lucetta, Lyle, Lockett, Leontyne, Lettice, Lancaster, Lanford, Langdon, Langley, Lindsay, Linton, Litton, and Lodge. (Page 6)

English Names that Start With L

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