unisex name
Laverne
luh-VURN
- Origin French
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 56,145
Ireland
#614
1978 births
Laverne means the alder grove, and the goddess sometimes cited for it is a poor fit — Laverna was the Roman patroness of thieves, which is not a namesake most sources mention when they list her.
- Laverne is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in 1924, when 1,785 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 368,460 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Laverne started out as a girls' name and is now given almost entirely to boys.
- First appears in US birth records in 1885.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Laverne 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 | 46 |
| 1890s | 226 |
| 1900s | 749 |
| 1910s | 6,899 |
| 1920s | 16,669 |
| 1930s | 11,339 |
| 1940s | 7,723 |
| 1950s | 6,741 |
| 1960s | 3,832 |
| 1970s | 1,202 |
| 1980s | 363 |
| 1990s | 170 |
| 2000s | 64 |
| 2010s | 50 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 51 |
What Laverne means
Laverne means the alder tree, or the place where alders grow. The French carries a definite article, so the name reads as a location rather than a description of a person.
Where Laverne comes from
Laverne is the French la verne, the alder — verne being a Gaulish loan into French for a tree that grows in wet ground. It began as a surname marking where a family lived. Sources also connect it to Laverna, a Roman goddess who presided over thieves and the dishonest, which would be a strange thing to name a child for and is unlikely to be the actual route. Our data marks the name reviving.
Laverne in use
Laverne peaked in the United States in 1924, when 1,785 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 10845th in the United States on 9 births, across 56,145 lifetime births. About 76 percent of recorded births are female, so it has been used for both throughout its history.
How popular is Laverne?
In 2025, Laverne was given to 9 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Laverne 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 Laverne
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Laverne also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Laverne over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Laverne 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 Laverne
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Laverne — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Laverne
What does the name Laverne mean?
The alder grove — the French la verne, from a Gaulish word for the tree.
Is it named for a goddess?
Laverna is sometimes cited, but she presided over thieves — an unlikely namesake.
Is Laverne a girls' name?
Mostly — about 76 percent of the births in our records are female.
Is Laverne coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, though from a very low base.
How popular is the name Laverne?
In 2025, Laverne was given to 9 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
How many syllables are in Laverne?
Laverne has 2 syllables.
When was Laverne most popular?
Laverne peaked in 1924, when 1,785 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Laverne a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Laverne currently ranks #10,845 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.