Laurence

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Laurence

Gender: Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Laurence is the English form of a Latin name, Laurentius. Originally it meant “Man from Laurentum” from laurel, or “Crowned With Laurel,” as in “honored.”

History:
Laurentius, was very rare before the Norman Conquest, and only used by monks. Soon after, since St. Lawrence (and St. Laurentius of Canterbury, d. 619) was a favorite medieval saint, the name became common. It also became popular in Ireland, due to the Irish St. Laurence O’Toole (1128-1180), who had used the name as an Anglicization of Lorcan. The alternate spelling of Lawrence, is due to the surname Lawrence, is is currently far more popular.

In France, Laurence is a feminine name (Laurent is the masculine form).

Pronunciation: lore-ance.

Diminutives:
English: Larry, Laurie, Law, Lawri, Laz, Lanty.
German: Lenz.
Hawaiian: Lolina, Lolena, Lali.

Alternates: Lawerence, Lawrence, Lorne, Loren, Lorin, Lorrin.
Catalan: Llorenç.
Czech: Lavrinec, Vavrinec.
Danish: Lars, Lauritz.
Dutch: Laurens, Lars, Lauritz.
Finnish: Lauri, Lasse, Lassi.
French: Laurent.
German: Lorenz.
Hawaiian: Lauleneke.
Hungarian: Lorencz.
Irish Gaelic: Labhrás.
Italian: Lorenzo.
Manx: Laurys.
Polish: Laurencjusz, Lawcenty, Lawrzyniec, Wawrzyniec, Wawrzen, Wawrzeniec.
Portuguese: Laurenço.
Russian: Lavrent, Lavrenti, Lavrenty.
Scandinavian: Lars.
Scottish Gaelic: Labhrainn.
Spanish: Laurencio, Lorencio.
Swedish: Lars.

Surnames:
Basque: Lorenzana.
English: Larkin, Laurenson, Laurie, Lawrie, Lawson, Lawrence.
Lapp: Larsdotter (female).
Latin: Laurentii.
Scandinavian: Larsen.
Swedish: Larsson.

Feminine: Laura, Lauren.

See also: Larry, Lawrence, Loren, Lorenzo.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:

Lars Wivallius (1605-1669)
Swedish poet.
Laurent de La Hire (1606-1656)
French painter.
Lars Johansson (1638-1674)
Swedish poet.
Laurence Eusden (1688-1730)
British poet.
Laurence Sterne (1713-1768)
Irish-English novelist.
Laurence Housman (1865-1959)
English playwright.
Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976)
British painter.
Lorenz Hart (1895-1943)
American lyricist.
Sir Laurens Jan van der Post (1906-1996)
South African novelist.
Laurie Lee (1914-)
British poet.
Lars Ahlin (1915-)
Swedish novelist.
Laurence Peter (1919-1990)
Canadian author.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Wawrzyniec Goslicki (1530-1607)
Polish political writer.

Fictional Characters:
Friar Laurence (1594)
From William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Miscellaneous:
Laurens Janszo Coster (1370-1440)
Also claimed to have invented printing.
Laurence Oliphant (1829-1888)
British traveler.
Laurie Doherty (1875-1919)
British tennis player.
Laurence McKinley Gould (1896-1995)
American explorer of Antarctica.
Laurence “Laurie” Gandar (1915-1998)
South African journalist.
Lars Gyllensten (1921-)
Swedish novelist.
Lars-Goran Hall (1927-)
Swedish Olympic athlete.

Political Figures:
Laurent, Marquis de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr (1764-1830)
French statesman.
Lars Johan Hierta (1801-1872)
Swedish politician.
Lavrenty Pavlov Beria (1899-1953)
Director of the Soviet Secret Police.
Laurent Desire Kabila (1939-)
Zairean politician.

Religious Figures:
Laurentius (6th century)
Antipope.
St. Laurentius of Canterbury (?-619)
The second archbishop of Canterbury.
Laurentius Petri (Lars Petersson) (1499-1573)
Swedish leader of the Protestant Reformation.
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (San Lorenzo da Brindisi) (1559-1619)
Leader of the counter-Reformation in Germany.

Scientists:
Lars Onsager (1903-1976)
Norwegian-American chemist. Winner of the 1968 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Singers and Entertainers:

Sir Laurence Olivier (1907-1989)
British actor.
Lars Valerian Ahlfors (1907-1996)
Finnish mathematician.
Laurent Schwartz (1915-)
French mathematician.
Lars V. Hörmander (1931-)
Swedish mathematician.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.598 % named Larry
0.282 % named Lawrence
0.036 % named Lorenzo
0.032 % named Loren
0.024 % named Laurence
0.005 % named Lawerence

Popularity of Laurence:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 272nd most popular.
1875: 255th most popular.
1900-1910: 244th most popular.
1910-1920: 242nd most popular.
1920-1930: 247th most popular.
1930-1940: 277th most popular.
1940-1950: 252nd most popular.
1950-1960: 278th most popular.
1960-1970: 389th most popular.
1970-1980: 597th most popular.
1980-1990: 690th most popular.
1990: 948th most popular.
1991: 993rd most popular.
1992: 991st most popular.
1993-94: N/A
1995: 991st most popular.
1996: N/A

Popularity of Laurence, for females:
Popularity (for newborns):
In France...
1900: 110th most popular.
1910: 110th most popular.
1920: 119th most popular.
1930: 139th most popular.
1940: 177th most popular.
1950: 124th most popular.
1960: 22nd most popular.
1970: 7th most popular.
1980: 56th most popular.
1989: 197th most popular.
1990-2000: N/A