Feminine form of Latin Laurus, "laurel tree." Laura was a familiar name in England by the 12th century. In 1327, Petrarch caught sight of Laure de Noves in a church in Avignon. He maintained that seeing her made him a poet, and the famous sonnets Petrarch wrote for his beloved Laura immortalized the name. Laura was common in the 19th century but then receded until 1944, when it was in 119th place on the SSA list. That year the film Laura came out, in which actor Dana Andrews is mesmerized by the portrait of actress Gene Tierney, and use of the name revived. Between 1960 and 1989, it was again one of the 25 most common names for girls. It then began to diminish, and its 2005 ranking of 145th, with nearly 2,312 Lauras born, was its lowest ever.

Famous names: Laura Bush (first lady), Laura Dern (actress), Laura Ingalls Wilder (writer)

Nicknames: Laurie, Lori, Lorie, Lorrie, Lorry

Variations: Laure (French), Lauretta, Laurette (French), Laurice, Lavra (Czech and Greek), Lora (German), Loretta, Lorette, Lorita

Find out about popular Irish names.