Laurence

maleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Laurence: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Laurence: Recorded since 1952, it reached #47 in 1968, and it stood at #389 in 2024.

4registrars recorded it
99times a registrar ranked it
73years from first to last
#47highest recorded position
23groupings it qualifies for

What stands out in Laurence's record

Moved 107 places between two consecutive years — its largest recorded change. Names by largest single-year move

Region

Falling

among boys in England and Wales · 1996–2024

View as table

England and Wales · Boys rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#169
1997	#161
1998	#185
1999	#167
2000	#203
2001	#285
2002	#262
2003	#299
2004	#296
2005	#379
2006	#377
2007	#386
2008	#360
2009	#427
2010	#343
2011	#388
2012	#393
2013	#373
2014	#359
2015	#379
2016	#412
2017	#377
2018	#414
2019	#449
2020	#410
2021	#416
2022	#509
2023	#403
2024	#389

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Boys

Recorded in official data among boys in Republic of Ireland in every year from 1964 to 2024.

In 2024: #389 among boys in England and Wales, #582 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Official data from 4 national registrars across 4 regions, 1952–2024 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1952
First recorded at #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1968 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #389 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys

Laurence appears in 4 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Republic of Ireland · Boys, with 61 ranked years and 2,625 births registered; the earliest is New South Wales, Australia · Boys, from 1952.

Laurence across 4 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Laurence's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#48 (1964)	#47 (1968)	#582 (2024)	61 of 61	2,625 (1964–2024)	141 (1964)
England and Wales · Boys	#169 (1996)	#161 (1997)	#389 (2024)	29 of 29	3,392 (1996–2024)	216 (1997)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#272 (1998)	#257 (2006)	#346 (2014)	4 of 17	15 (1998–2014)	5 (2006)
New South Wales, Australia · Boys	#86 (1952)	#86 (1952)	#98 (1956)	5 of 5	312 (1952–1956)	70 (1952)

Laurence by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Laurence in Republic of Ireland · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960sbusiest	734	6 of 10	122
1970s	897	10 of 10	90
1980s	501	10 of 10	50
1990s	260	10 of 10	26
2000s	101	10 of 10	10
2010s	97	10 of 10	10
2020s	35	5 of 10	7

Across Republic of Ireland · Boys, the 1960s were its busiest decade — the 6 years of it this list covers, averaging 122 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1966 and 1967, when recorded births fell by 27, from 127 to 100.

See the names Republic of Irelandhas recorded the most births with →

Laurence appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1952 to 2024. Highest recorded position: #47 in Republic of Ireland in 1968.

Laurence's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2024	England and Wales	male	#389	106	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	male	#403	99	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	male	#509	77	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	male	#416	102	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	male	#410	99	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	male	#449	90	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	male	#414	102	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	male	#377	121	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	male	#412	102	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	male	#379	115	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	male	#359	116	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	male	#373	109	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	male	#393	106	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	male	#388	102	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	male	#343	122	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	male	#427	89	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	male	#360	105	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	male	#386	93	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	male	#377	91	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	male	#379	82	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	male	#296	101	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	male	#299	96	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	male	#262	108	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	male	#285	96	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	male	#203	160	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	male	#167	204	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	male	#185	181	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	male	#161	216	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	male	#169	202	High	Verified
1956	New South Wales, Australia	male	#98	56	Insufficient	Not yet available
1955	New South Wales, Australia	male	#100	61	Insufficient	Not yet available
1954	New South Wales, Australia	male	#94	63	Insufficient	Not yet available
1953	New South Wales, Australia	male	#94	62	Insufficient	Not yet available
1952	New South Wales, Australia	male	#86	70	Insufficient	Not yet available
2014	Northern Ireland	male	#346	4	High	Verified
2006	Northern Ireland	male	#257	5	High	Verified
2003	Northern Ireland	male	#299	3	High	Verified
1998	Northern Ireland	male	#272	3	High	Verified
2024	Republic of Ireland	male	#582	5	High	Verified
2023	Republic of Ireland	male	#396	9	High	Verified
2022	Republic of Ireland	male	#454	7	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	male	#390	9	High	Verified
2020	Republic of Ireland	male	#556	5	High	Verified
2019	Republic of Ireland	male	#466	7	High	Verified
2018	Republic of Ireland	male	#350	11	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	male	#305	14	High	Verified
2016	Republic of Ireland	male	#412	8	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	male	#554	5	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	male	#347	12	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	male	#404	9	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	male	#457	7	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	male	#308	14	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	male	#373	10	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	male	#366	10	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	male	#412	8	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	male	#299	12	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	male	#423	5	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	male	#239	13	High	Verified
2004	Republic of Ireland	male	#214	14	High	Verified
2003	Republic of Ireland	male	#275	9	High	Verified
2002	Republic of Ireland	male	#226	11	High	Verified
2001	Republic of Ireland	male	#246	9	High	Verified
2000	Republic of Ireland	male	#214	10	High	Verified
1999	Republic of Ireland	male	#203	10	High	Verified
1998	Republic of Ireland	male	#215	9	High	Verified
1997	Republic of Ireland	male	#149	24	High	Verified
1996	Republic of Ireland	male	#135	31	High	Verified
1995	Republic of Ireland	male	#164	17	High	Verified
1994	Republic of Ireland	male	#139	27	High	Verified
1993	Republic of Ireland	male	#130	30	High	Verified
1992	Republic of Ireland	male	#117	42	High	Verified
1991	Republic of Ireland	male	#125	36	High	Verified
1990	Republic of Ireland	male	#126	34	High	Verified
1989	Republic of Ireland	male	#119	36	High	Verified
1988	Republic of Ireland	male	#101	48	High	Verified
1987	Republic of Ireland	male	#109	45	High	Verified
1986	Republic of Ireland	male	#109	41	High	Verified
1985	Republic of Ireland	male	#117	39	High	Verified
1984	Republic of Ireland	male	#109	48	High	Verified
1983	Republic of Ireland	male	#101	54	High	Verified
1982	Republic of Ireland	male	#107	50	High	Verified
1981	Republic of Ireland	male	#102	58	High	Verified
1980	Republic of Ireland	male	#84	82	High	Verified
1979	Republic of Ireland	male	#88	77	High	Verified
1978	Republic of Ireland	male	#85	80	High	Verified
1977	Republic of Ireland	male	#84	83	High	Verified
1976	Republic of Ireland	male	#93	73	High	Verified
1975	Republic of Ireland	male	#94	68	High	Verified
1974	Republic of Ireland	male	#83	87	High	Verified
1973	Republic of Ireland	male	#75	105	High	Verified
1972	Republic of Ireland	male	#73	109	High	Verified
1971	Republic of Ireland	male	#64	118	High	Verified
1970	Republic of Ireland	male	#70	97	High	Verified
1969	Republic of Ireland	male	#58	117	High	Verified
1968	Republic of Ireland	male	#47	126	High	Verified
1967	Republic of Ireland	male	#58	100	High	Verified
1966	Republic of Ireland	male	#49	127	High	Verified
1965	Republic of Ireland	male	#52	123	High	Verified
1964	Republic of Ireland	male	#48	141	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
New South Wales, Australia hub — collected by NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

What the record shows

Recorded by 4 registrars between 1952 and 2024, ranked in 66 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #47, first reached in 1968.

It held a top-100 place in 22 years, 17 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 216 births, registered in England and Wales in 1997.

Its record falls into 2 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 7 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1964, and 46 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Laurel · #758, 29y
Lauren · #2, 50y
Laurentiu · #2734, 10y
Lauretta · #393, 10y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 4 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Mairead · #46, 61y
Tomasz · #45, 69y
Michele · #44, 70y
Piotr · #50, 71y

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1950 and 1959.

Douglas · #47, 70y
Kaia · #46, 54y
Lynda · #48, 56y
Maurice · #46, 69y

Laurence was ranked #47 in Republic of Ireland · Boys in 1968. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Laurence and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,573 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Laurence without appearing here.

Laurence moved ahead of

Emil Compare
In 2020 they stood at #556 and #459 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2021 that had become #390 and #755.
Craig Compare
In 2009 they stood at #427 and #408 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2010 that had become #343 and #503.
Tom Compare
In 2019 they stood at #449 and #445 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2020 that had become #410 and #535.
Scott Compare
In 2016 they stood at #412 and #397 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2017 that had become #377 and #501.

Moved ahead of Laurence

Colin Compare
In 2023 they stood at #396 and #436 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2024 that had become #582 and #302.
Steven Compare
In 2023 they stood at #396 and #516 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2024 that had become #582 and #302.
Tony Compare
In 2014 they stood at #347 and #403 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2015 that had become #554 and #280.
Sebastian Compare
In 2005 they stood at #239 and #247 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2006 that had become #423 and #190.

Moved the opposite way to Laurence

Alexander Compare
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Laurence went from #48 to #582 while Alexander went from #116 to #44.
Benjamin Compare
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Laurence went from #48 to #582 while Benjamin went from #139 to #74.
Conor Compare
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Laurence went from #48 to #582 while Conor went from #56 to #19.
Daniel Compare
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Laurence went from #48 to #582 while Daniel went from #19 to #11.

Moved the same way as Laurence

Adrian Compare
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Laurence went from #48 to #582 and Adrian from #65 to #200.
Alfred Compare
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Laurence went from #48 to #582 and Alfred from #134 to #430.
Denis Compare
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Laurence went from #48 to #582 and Denis from #21 to #195.
Edward Compare
Between 1964 and 2024 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Laurence went from #48 to #582 and Edward from #18 to #144.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1952 to 2024. Highest recorded position: #47 in Republic of Ireland in 1968. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Laurence

Laurence at a glance

What stands out in Laurence's record

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Laurence across 4 official records

Laurence by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Laurence appears in

Popularity data

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Names published alongside Laurence

Laurence and the names beside it

Laurence moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Laurence

Moved the opposite way to Laurence

Moved the same way as Laurence

Laurence at a glance

What stands out in Laurence's record

Laurence across 4 official records

Laurence by decade in Republic of Ireland · Boys

Laurence appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1950s

Names published alongside Laurence

Laurence and the names beside it

Laurence moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Laurence

Moved the opposite way to Laurence

Moved the same way as Laurence