unisex name
Laurence
LOR-uns
- Origin Latin
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 239,755
Canada
#306
2024 births
Laurence is the one name on this site that changes sex at the Channel: it is a man's name in English and a woman's name in French. About 80 percent of the births in our records are female, almost all of them French.
- Laurence is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in France in 1966, when 11,785 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 117,911 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Laurence over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 3,185 |
| 1910s | 2,345 |
| 1920s | 2,460 |
| 1930s | 1,630 |
| 1940s | 2,265 |
| 1950s | 15,330 |
| 1960s | 90,390 |
| 1970s | 53,140 |
| 1980s | 8,975 |
| 1990s | 1,570 |
| 2000s | 310 |
| 2010s | 85 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15 |
What Laurence means
Laurence means from Laurentum, an ancient Italian town generally connected to the laurel. The name says where a man was from rather than describing him.
Where Laurence comes from
Laurence is the Latin Laurentius, a man of Laurentum, a city of ancient Latium whose name is usually traced to laurus, the bay or laurel. In English it is the u-spelling variant of Lawrence and is masculine. In French it is something else entirely: Laurent is the masculine and Laurence the feminine, formed with a silent final e that English does not hear. So one spelling carries opposite genders on either side of the Channel, and our records — which pool both — show it as 80 percent female because French use dominates the total.
Laurence in use
Laurence peaked in France in 1966, when 11,785 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 403rd in England and Wales on 101 births, 1750th in the United States on 98 and 7166th in France, across 239,755 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. About 80 percent of recorded births are female. England and Wales, where the name is masculine, now gives it the strongest position — so the market using it as a man's name is the one keeping it alive.
How popular is Laurence?
In 2025, Laurence was given to 5 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Laurence is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Laurence
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Laurence also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Laurence over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Laurence
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Laurence 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.
Sibling names for Laurence
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Laurence — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Laurence
What does the name Laurence mean?
From Laurentum, an ancient Italian town whose name is linked to the laurel.
Is Laurence a boy's or girl's name?
Both, depending on the country. It is masculine in English and feminine in French, where Laurent is the masculine.
Is it Laurence or Lawrence?
Lawrence with a w is the English masculine spelling; Laurence with a u is French and Irish, and French uses it for women.
How popular is Laurence?
403rd in England and Wales, its strongest market, and 7166th in France.
How many syllables are in Laurence?
Laurence has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Laurence?
Laurence is usually shortened to Laurie and Larry.
Is Laurence a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Laurence currently ranks #306 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.