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Laurence

English from Latin
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"
Brynn McKeon
By Brynn McKeon
Updated Tue Sep 30 2025

Laurence Origin and Meaning

The name Laurence is a boy's name meaning "from Laurentum or 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.

There have been several saints with the name Laurence, which account for its historic popularity in the Christian world. Nowadays, it's an underused classic with a warm, distinguished appeal.

# 996 in the US

Laurence Rank in US Top 1000

# 852 on Nameberry

Laurence Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Laurence

20 Names Similar to Laurence

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Laurence.

Famous People Named Laurence

  • Laurence Kerr Olivier
    Baron Olivier, English actor
  • Laurence Sterne
    Anglo,Irish novelist
  • Laurence John Fishburne III
    American actor
  • Laurence Eugene "Lon" Myers
    American world,record,setting runner
  • Laurence George "Laurie" Main
    Australian actor
  • Laurence Tureaud aka Mr. T.
    American actor
  • Laurence Paul Fox
    English actor
  • (Laurence) Kim Peek
    American savant and was inspiration for movie "Rain Man"
  • Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne)
    Lithuanian actor
  • (Robert) Laurence Binyon
    English poet
  • Laurence Leavy
    American Lawyer, better known as the Marlins Man

The name Laurence in Pop Culture

  • Theodore "Laurie" Laurence
    character in "Little Women"
  • Laurence Dominic
    character on TV's Dollhouse
  • Laurence
    character in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

International Variations of the name Laurence

  • Laurencio
    Spanish
  • Lauro
    Filipino
  • Laurens
    Dutch
  • Lauris
    Swedish
  • Laurent
    French

The name Laurence in Nameberry Blog Posts