boy's name
Larry
LAIR-ee
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 813,309
Northern Ireland
#510
2021 births
Larry is a boy's name, the short form of Lawrence, from a Roman name meaning of Laurentum. It peaked in 1947 with 35,027 births and has fallen to 1090th in the United States, charting in four of our seven markets.
- Larry is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1947, when 35,027 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 16,744 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Larry over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 150 |
| 1890s | 299 |
| 1900s | 634 |
| 1910s | 2,612 |
| 1920s | 7,292 |
| 1930s | 65,501 |
| 1940s | 256,655 |
| 1950s | 246,693 |
| 1960s | 109,181 |
| 1970s | 58,658 |
| 1980s | 31,562 |
| 1990s | 16,000 |
| 2000s | 9,139 |
| 2010s | 5,345 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,427 |
What Larry means
Larry means from Laurentum, an ancient Italian town whose own name is generally linked to the laurel. The crowned-with-laurel reading comes from that link rather than from the name itself.
Where Larry comes from
Larry is clipped from Lawrence, the Latin Laurentius, meaning a man from Laurentum — a city of ancient Latium whose name is usually connected to laurus, the laurel or bay tree, the plant Romans wove into victory wreaths. Saint Lawrence, a deacon of Rome martyred in 258, is credited with the most defiant line in hagiography: roasted on a gridiron, he is said to have told his executioners to turn him over as he was done on that side. He became one of the most venerated Roman martyrs, which carried the name across Europe, and the pet form Larry became a standard American name in its own right during the twentieth century.
Larry in use
Larry peaked in the United States in 1947, when 35,027 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 1036th in Ireland, 1090th in the United States on 198 births and 3193rd in England and Wales, across 813,309 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. Nearly all of that total was registered between 1930 and 1980.
How popular is Larry?
In 2025, Larry was given to 198 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Larry is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Larry
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Larry also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Larry over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Larry in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- French
- Laurence
Sibling names for Larry
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Larry — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Larry
What does the name Larry mean?
From Laurentum, an ancient Italian town whose name is linked to the laurel.
Is Larry short for Lawrence?
Yes, though it has been registered as a full name in its own right throughout the twentieth century.
Who was Saint Lawrence?
A Roman deacon martyred in 258, said to have told his executioners to turn him over as he was done on one side.
How popular is Larry?
1090th in the United States, down from a 1947 peak of 35,027 births.
Is Larry a girl's or a boy's name?
Larry is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Larry?
Larry has 2 syllables.
Is Larry a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Larry currently ranks #1,036 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.