Boy · Latin
Laurentius
Say it: law-REN-shus
Meaning
'Man from Laurentum', a town near Rome. The town's name is often linked to laurus 'laurel', but that connection is uncertain.
Likelythe main view, with some doubt.
Spread throughout Europe by the cult of the martyr St. Lawrence (d. 258).
Its wave through time
No birth counts are recorded for this name in the records loaded here: it has been given to fewer than five babies a year, or not at all, since records began.
Through the ages
- Ancient Rome750 BC to AD 476
- The Early Middle Ages400 to 800
- The High and Late Middle Ages1100 to 1450
- The Renaissance1400 to 1600
- Victorian and Belle Époque1837 to 1914
- The Modern Age1880 to today
Used by
The family of the name
| English | Lawrence |
|---|---|
| Italian | Lorenzo |
| Spanish | Lorenzo |
| French | Laurent |
| German | Lorenz |
| Portuguese | Lourenço |
| Polish | Wawrzyniec |
Famous bearers
- St. Lawrence of Rome, deacon and martyr
- Lorenzo de' Medici
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Lives of the saints and early Christian martyrologies
- Calendars of saints and name days
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.