Meaning and history
Laurence comes from the Roman name Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum," an ancient Italian city whose name was probably connected with laurel. It spread through medieval Europe because of Saint Laurence, a third-century Roman deacon and martyr, and later Saint Laurence O'Toole in Ireland. The Lawrence spelling became more common in America, while Laurence remained prominent in Britain. Famous bearers include actors Laurence Olivier and Laurence Fishburne.
20062006: 71 births, rank #1,893
2007: 55 births, rank #2,337
2008: 53 births, rank #2,405
2009: 56 births, rank #2,320
2010: 41 births, rank #2,874
20112011: 48 births, rank #2,547
2012: 51 births, rank #2,448
2013: 45 births, rank #2,623
2014: 59 births, rank #2,256
2015: 60 births, rank #2,234
20162016: 56 births, rank #2,335
2017: 72 births, rank #1,977
2018: 61 births, rank #2,230
2019: 61 births, rank #2,265
2020: 72 births, rank #1,977
20212021: 62 births, rank #2,253
2022: 54 births, rank #2,517
2023: 68 births, rank #2,129
2024: 67 births, rank #2,169
20252025: 93 births, rank #1,743
Laurence moved from #971 to #998 for boys between 1992 and 1995. Its highest annual birth count came in 1952, with 845 births.