Nameling

Loretta

Gender
Girl
Say it
lo-RET-a
Origin
Latin
UK rank, 2025
#884 for girls
US rank, 2025
#606 for girls

Loretta is a girls' name of Latin origin, meaning “laurel”. In 2025 it ranked 884th for girls in the UK (43 babies) and 606th for girls in the US (485 babies).

What does Loretta mean?

Latin: pet form of Laura, via Italian

“laurel”

Diminutive of Laura; it is also associated with Loreto, the Italian shrine town.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Loretta a girl's or a boy's name?

Loretta is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 43 girls in the UK and 485 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Loretta in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#884among girls
Babies in 2025
43about 1 in 6,500 girls
Five-year trend
Risingup 96% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 43 girls in the UK were named Loretta, making it the 884th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,431st.

2025 had the most girls named Loretta of any year since the records began in 1996.

Half of all the girls named Loretta in the UK since 1996 were born between 2004 and 2022. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

Among girls in 2025, it was 894th in England and Wales and 632nd in Scotland.

1996Busiest: 43 in 20252025
Loretta in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
202543#884
202428#1,248
202325#1,360
202241#920
202126#1,323
202023#1,431
201912#2,275
201814#2,088
201713#2,210
20168#3,105
201512#2,328
201416#1,895
201313#2,174
201211#2,463
20117#3,360
201020#1,575
200912#2,153
200819#1,548
20076#3,396
20067#2,940
20055#3,543
200411#1,949
200310#1,954
20029#2,040
200116#1,325
20006#2,554
199917#1,243
199822#1,049
199722#1,022
199616#1,244

How popular is Loretta in the US?

Rank in 2025
#606among girls
Babies in 2025
485about 1 in 3,300 girls
Five-year trend
Risingup 69% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 485 girls in the US were named Loretta, making it the 606th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 942nd. Its busiest year was 1938, with 3,913 girls.

It has been given to more girls each year for the last 8 years. 2025 had more girls named Loretta than any year since 1981.

Half of all the girls named Loretta in the US since 1880 were born between 1929 and 1958, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 3,913 in 19382025
Loretta in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
2025485#606
2024423#677
2023371#757
2022346#810
2021300#901
2020272#942
2019252#1,020
2018232#1,085
2017229#1,102
2016240#1,082
2015219#1,154
2014179#1,321
2013121#1,713
2012124#1,690
2011111#1,817
201097#2,043
200984#2,316
2008112#1,890
2007105#1,957
2006113#1,809
2005103#1,877
200490#2,028
200380#2,164
200276#2,175
200177#2,122
200092#1,851
1999102#1,634
1998102#1,595
1997109#1,494
1996139#1,254
1995124#1,327
1994135#1,261
1993137#1,252
1992141#1,229
1991184#1,006
1990207#919
1989201#904
1988251#747
1987269#686
1986297#624
1985287#644
1984309#587
1983347#540
1982413#492
1981487#439
1980418#494
1979495#422
1978481#420
1977571#374
1976671#333
1975778#301
1974956#266
1973972#257
19721,047#258
19711,304#228
19701,365#231
19691,541#204
19681,627#194
19671,803#177
19661,899#175
19651,839#185
19642,228#174
19632,507#161
19622,513#160
19612,922#148
19603,191#138
19593,156#136
19583,314#132
19573,350#131
19563,407#126
19553,431#123
19543,245#125
19532,666#136
19522,616#136
19512,489#135
19502,720#120
19492,776#117
19482,868#115
19473,001#113
19462,892#111
19452,661#107
19442,746#98
19433,169#89
19423,406#79
19413,100#81
19403,502#69
19393,769#65
19383,913#62
19373,673#63
19363,325#70
19353,365#69
19342,978#83
19332,705#87
19322,746#89
19312,581#96
19302,482#105
19291,939#127
19281,996#123
19272,018#127
19262,108#126
19252,255#122
19242,261#124
19232,143#124
19222,095#125
19212,134#122
19202,122#120
19192,067#118
19182,051#116
19171,970#114
19161,903#113
19151,810#115
19141,323#122
19131,074#118
1912978#119
1911739#118
1910655#124
1909573#123
1908566#119
1907520#126
1906520#120
1905527#121
1904506#116
1903505#114
1902461#124
1901438#118
1900535#121
1899410#119
1898454#118
1897406#123
1896391#122
1895365#126
1894330#131
1893323#132
1892263#152
1891212#159
1890228#156
1889172#170
1888157#177
1887134#174
1886141#164
188591#197
188494#187
188376#194
188272#194
188158#196
188041#240

Nicknames for Loretta

Names like Loretta

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Rosa Alma Ada Clara Rosie Beatrice Flora Nora Matilda Florence Etta Nina

Names related to Loretta

Lauretta

More Latin names

Oliver Olivia Leo Roman Aurora Emily Mabel Luna Emilia Max Nova Lucy Julian Anthony Austin Felix

Every Latin name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Loretta: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/loretta, updated 20 October 2026.