boy's name
Lloyd
LOYD (English)
- Origin Welsh
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 167,493
Lloyd is a boy's name from the Welsh word for gray, and the double L is a genuine Welsh consonant that English has no letter for. It is stable, and England and Wales ranks it above the United States.
- Lloyd is a name of Welsh origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 3,765 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 29,869 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lloyd Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,254 |
| 1890s | 2,480 |
| 1900s | 3,528 |
| 1910s | 21,918 |
| 1920s | 33,380 |
| 1930s | 24,002 |
| 1940s | 23,723 |
| 1950s | 20,711 |
| 1960s | 13,494 |
| 1970s | 6,836 |
| 1980s | 4,643 |
| 1990s | 2,699 |
| 2000s | 1,518 |
| 2010s | 1,206 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 596 |
What Lloyd Means
Lloyd means gray, or gray-haired. The Welsh llwyd covers a range English splits between gray and brown, so the color is less precise than the translation suggests.
Where Lloyd Comes From
Lloyd is the Welsh llwyd, gray — a byname for a gray-haired man that became a surname and then a first name. The double L is a distinct Welsh consonant, a voiceless lateral produced with the tongue in the L position and air pushed round the side, which English has no letter or sound for; speakers usually substitute a plain L or a CL. Llwyd is broader than the English gray and takes in shades of brown, which is why the Welsh for gray friar and brown are related. Lloyd's of London is named for the coffee house of Edward Lloyd, where shipping insurers met from the 1680s.
Lloyd in Use
Lloyd peaked in the United States in 1918, when 3,765 babies were registered, and it is stable rather than falling. It now ranks 1,402nd in England and Wales on 20 births, 1,553rd in the United States on 111 and 2,159th in France on 15, across 167,493 lifetime births in four markets. Its 1918 peak places it with Pearl, Bessie and Gertrude in the 1916 to 1921 band.
How Popular Is Lloyd?
In 2025, Lloyd was given to 111 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Lloyd 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 Lloyd
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Lloyd Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lloyd over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Lloyd
- English LOYD /lɔɪd/
Lloyd 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 Lloyd
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Lloyd — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Lloyd
What does the name Lloyd mean?
Gray — the Welsh llwyd, originally a byname for a gray-haired man.
Why is there a double L?
It is a single Welsh consonant with no English equivalent, made by pushing air round the side of the tongue.
Is Floyd the same name?
Yes — an English attempt at the Welsh sound, which produced an F where the Ll was.
How popular is Lloyd?
1,402nd in England and Wales and 1,553rd in the United States, and it is stable.
Is Lloyd a girl's or a boy's name?
Lloyd is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lloyd?
Lloyd has 1 syllable.
Is Lloyd a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lloyd currently ranks #1,328 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.